911 Calmunications, what is the location of your emergency?

According to NENA, an estimated 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the U.S. each year. Each of those calls is answered by a public safety dispatcher, who - in addition to answering non-emergency lines and a variety of other responsibilities - then listens to the details, provides the pre-arrival assistance they can, and sends the required help.

Processing other people’s trauma, feelings of helplessness, uncertain outcomes, long shifts, and staffing issues make this one of the most stressful jobs out there, and one of the least noticed.

I hope to be a resource of techniques to help these unseen heroes find a sense of calm at their consoles, learn ways to center and calm themselves between calls and to take care of themselves a little better so they can continue to give their best to themselves and their communities.

It doesn’t stop with the dispatcher - the law enforcement, fire and emergency medical responders who get sent, in addition to corrections and support staff may also share these struggles and can benefit from mindfulness and yoga techniques.