MADRID – HOUSTON COUNTY – DOTHAN: 07:50 AM. Houston County 911 dispatched Cottonwood Rescue and Houston County Sheriff Deputies to Madrid to a child not breathing. Cottonwood Rescue requested Rehobeth Rescue also respond reference advanced life support.
On arrival to the scene it was a load and go to Southeast Health, emergency transport, CPR in progress with medics of Rehobeth and Cottonwood fighting for this child.
Houston County Sheriff Deputies and Dothan Police Department are catching intersections blocking traffic so the ambulance does not have to yield and stop waiting to make sure the intersection is clear.
08:16 AM Rehobeth EMS and Cottonwood Rescue have arrived at Southeast Health.
ARITON – DALE COUNTY: 07:56 AM. Ozark – Dale County dispatched EMS and Dale County Sheriff Department to the Ariton area, patient not breathing – CPR in progress. The call is an adult.
On arrival of emergency units, CPR discontinued and person is deceased.
Prayer for patients, families, EMS, law enforcement and the 911 Centers. The 911 dispatchers are trained to try and calm the caller and step them through CPR instructions while EMS and law enforcement respond. The 911 Centers are the bridge between the caller and- law enforcement – fire – EMS. The calmness of the 911 Center, whether a 911 call or officer/fire/EMS yelling for help keeps the situations calm and not chaotic.
Over a decade ago when two Dothan Police Officers were shot while walking into HOBO Pantry on East Main Street and Beverlye Road, the Dothan Police Chief told the 911 Centers to remain calm. That their calmness will keep all involved calm. If they lost it and were overly excited then all on the radio would loose it. And that has rang in my head for decades. In that situation the officer, who is now a Sergeant with Dothan Police Department, casually walking into the store for a cup of coffee. The store was being robbed at the time, unknown to the officers. As the officers walked into the store the gunman, who was hiding behind the counter, rose up firing at the officers, striking one of the officers. The officer, ambushed, after shot pulled his weapon and shot the suspect. The officer shot is alive and well. His partner was an officer in training, who also reacted. But after that the trainee decided law enforcement was not for him.
This morning, adjoining counties, both 911 Centers, law enforcement and EMS all met with same type calls within six minutes of each other – patient not breathing – CPR in progress. The 911 dispatchers are not seen, they get little to no media coverage. But the 911 dispatchers ARE THE GLUE to keep emergencies running smooth and rolling immediate help. And the more information they obtain and inform the required emergency units, means the difference, often times, of the emergency units going home safe, the citizens lives being saved, and the persons reporting remaining calm. THANK YOU to all emergency units, most especially the 911 Centers.
