Dispatchers Are The First Responders

I watched the new 911 television show on Fox.  While it wasn’t 100% realistic, I did enjoy it.  I’d been following the hype surrounding the media on the show after my coworker brought it to our attention.  What we were most excited about is that the 911 dispatcher finally gets an opportunity to be recognized as part of the team of first responders. 

It is easy to overlook the dispatcher taking the call but we really are the first responders.  We are the ones who gather the information that is relayed to police, fire, and emergency services.  If something happens to that caller before help arrives, we are the last person to talk to them alive.  We are the record keeper of everything the caller says and in some cases, we are the witness to noises in the background and what isn’t said but can be heard.  And, we are the ones who often don’t get closure as the unit responding on scene is who completes the call.

Dispatch plays an important role and I felt Connie Britton prorates a 911 dispatcher really well. 

What I really like about this show is that it goes behind just the surface of the job we and other first responders do and actually takes into considering the mental aspect of our job and the toll it can take on a person.  I look forward to seeing where Ryan Murphy takes the show from here and if the network will continue to keep it around.