Lowe: 911 training ahead of curve

PARKERSBURG - Dispatching centers have been in the national spotlight since the airing of a "Today Show" segment in January on the shortcomings of the 911 system, but Wood County Central Telecommunications Center is ahead of the curve when it comes to equipment and training, said Randy Lowe, director of the 911 center.

"It takes a special person to be a 911 dispatcher," said Lowe, a retired Parkersburg police detective. "We take our training very seriously, and we exceed the minimum requirements of the state."

A "Today Show" segment addressed what it called "a dangerous flaw" in the 911 system - the lack of dispatcher training. The broadcast centered around the 2007 accidental strangulation death of a Texas toddler. The family of the toddler is suing the city of Murphy, Texas, claiming the 911 dispatcher failed to give the mother CPR instructions over the phone.

Emergency medical dispatch training gives dispatchers the skills to relay instructions on medical procedures such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. While waiting for emergency officials to arrive, an EMD-certified dispatcher can tell a caller how to administer first aid or even deliver a baby.

Many 911 centers do not have EMD-trained dispatchers, and some states do not require any basic dispatcher training at all, but in West Virginia, all dispatchers must complete a 40-hour basic training course. The Wood County 911 Center has gone above and beyond the basic requirement by giving EMD training to 22 of its 26 dispatchers. In addition, dispatchers undergo about 80 hours of supervised, on-the-job training and complete 24 hours of continued training every two years.

Lowe said the "Today Show" segment inaccurately reported West Virginia as having no state-mandated training or hiring requirements, when in fact basic training and background checks are required under state law.

"We take pride in our experience and training. People knock West Virginia for a lot of things, but this shouldn't be one of them. We've been an EMD-certified center for more than five years now," said Lowe. "People don't become dispatchers to get rich, they do it because they have a common goal - to provide the best service to this community."

Currently, 24 out of 55 counties in West Virginia have EMD certified dispatchers, but Lowe is pushing for a bill that would require all West Virginia 911 centers to be EMD certified. The West Virginia Enhanced 911 Council will introduce the bill in the current state legislative session.

Most dispatchers at the Wood County Telecommunications Center have had to utilize their EMD training to give medical instructions to frantic callers.

Longtime dispatcher Teresa Toney received the State Telecommunicator of the Year Award in 2009 for successfully talking a mother through the Heimlich maneuver when her 8-month-old baby was choking.

"When a medical-related call comes in, our dispatchers have an electronic system on their computers that shows what questions they should ask and what instructions should be given," said Lowe. "A lot of centers have flip cards that they look through for medical calls, but we have the technology here so that all it takes is the click of a button. It's easier and it saves time, especially in a stressful situation."

Supervisor Adrien Nokleby has been with the 911 center since its opening in 1999. Before that, he dispatched for the Parkersburg Police Department. As an EMD-certified dispatcher, he has experience in relaying CPR instructions to callers.

"The first thing we try to do is calm the caller down, but you have to understand, they've just seen a loved one go down. It's a very stressful situation for them," said Nokleby. "The calmer the caller is, the better he will be able to help the injured person. I can read CPR instructions right from the screen, but it's a good idea to reword them a little to connect with the callers and make them feel at ease. For example, instead of referring to the injured person as the patient, I might call them by their first name. It makes the interaction more personal."

Nokleby said one of the hard things about his line of work is the lack of closure.

"I might give instructions to someone on how to do CPR on an infant and then the paramedics will get there and tell us they are enroute to the hospital with the child. That's usually where the call ends, and that's all the contact we get. I might never know if the child made it or what happened after the call," he said.

While dispatching is not for everyone, Nokleby said he can't imagine doing anything else.

"It takes patience and a thick skin," he said. "I enjoy my job, and I enjoy the feeling of helping people and making a difference."