So you've got an emergency, and you dial 911. Next thing you know, you're on hold listening to Muzak. Believe it or not, it happens pretty frequently here in Atlanta. (Well, there's no Muzak. But still.)
Enter a man, a Blackberry, and a Twitter account.
((Shameless plug: follow us @KyraCNN!))
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There's nothing shameless about YOU, unless you would describe your savvy – that moves me to believe in myself a wee bit more and enough to want to live to tweet again another day – as that. I wouldn't. I started following the story on AC 360 and then A.B.'s investigative reporting in the Newsroom. It makes TV journalism very, very real in my view, contrary to the opinion of some skeptics. The problem I have, sometimes, is the story ( from the shoes of a novice i-reporter ) becomes almost too human; it tugs on the heartstrings...I am grateful, though, for the opportunity. Regards to my fellow tweeters.
A special salute to the anchor and her team who listen to the pull of their heartstrings – the Good Samaritans of the CNN Newsroom! Regards to one & all in the Newsroom for your savvy & dedication!
This is not surprising! Everyone has a picture of a dispatcher behind a huge control center with unlimited resources at their fingertips, and unlimited personnel to help.
The reality of Emergent medicine is only realized when it is your emergency. Sadly we have glossed over the fact that in a lot of places it is hard to retain qualified dispatchers. A lot of folks try it for a while and then they have to find something that will provide them with a decent living. I am not a dispatcher so I don't have a dog in this hunt. I am a paramedic, and I have regular contact with dispatchers from several different agencies. So many areas provide funding for 911 equipment and forget about having to pay a human to actually answer the phone. Not to mention the training that they should have and don't get. They just like my profession are reduced to the lowest common denominator when it comes to pay. The long hours it takes to earn a living takes it's toll on many in the emergent field. The average experience level of a paramedic is 2 years because they usually burn out in five years. I don't know what the burn out rate of dispatchers would be. So the next time you dial 911think about that person on the other end of the line,and the folks responding to Your emergency. I think they do pretty well for someone making just a little above minimum wage. Oh well, lets go and get some fast food and think about it!