Law Dispatcher

The upcoming topic is on death and how it is handled in the dispatch and law enforcement fields. It’s not a well-talked about topic and because of that, not many people know exactly what transpires when a loved one passes away. It is a well known fact that “It is appointed unto man once to die…” and as such it should be a topic that one should be informed about prior to that occasion. Uncomfortable as it may be, it would do each of us well to understand the process now so that when the time comes to be part of the process, it’s not such a shock.

During my training period as a 911 operator, I received a 911 call from a gentleman whose voice was quivering and obviously he was upset. After issuing him some calming words, he proceeded to tell me that he had just found his 21 year old daughter dead. This was my first death call that I can remember. As I obtained the address and his phone number, my computer locked up and my system eventually crashed. Being new to the job, I was unsure of how to proceed and my trainer was panicking due to the crash of the computer. The trainers advice: “Keep him talking.” Ugh! About what? As a trainee I did my best but this was a very uncomfortable situation. The caller had no idea that my computer was malfunctioning and he felt that I was occupying his time that he could better be using by calling his wife and informing her of the tragedy. Eventually, we got the computer functioning again and was able to send help to him, but I shall never forget his voice and that sorrow that it contained. Of course, I never found out the real cause of death but he had informed me that she did have a medical problem but nothing that would seem severe enough to cause death. It was such a shock to him and the nature in which he found the body suggested that there was no foul play.

Death calls are tricky for operators. While such a call should be handled with concern and compassion, it is often left up to the operator to try and determine if it certain death or if further action should be taken to try and preserve life. Obviously, if it is an expected death or the victim is elderly, it’s not quite as difficult for the operator to make that determination. However, when calls come in for children (especially babies), it can be almost impossible to gain the information necessary to send help much less issue instructions on how to proceed. In further postings, I will try to explain the role of law and paramedics when it comes to death or cardiac arrest calls. This can be a complex topic and it will need several postings to cover it correctly.

Should you find yourself in a situation of attending to someone who has died or is experiencing cardiac arrest, please do not hesitate to contact 911 immediately. It is a valid 911 call.