For any of you out there who are either emergency or 9-1-1 dispatchers (as I am), have you ever been able to get anyone to attempt CPR when there is a cardiac emergency call? We are quite frustrated at my comm center because everytime we get one of these calls and tell someone we are going to tell them how to do CPR, they always refuse! If your husband/wife/child were dying in front of you, wouldn't YOU attempt it? Some thoughts, please.
2006-12-30 11:09:33 · 13 answers · asked by Rebecca 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I have felt your pain. As a CPR instructor, a deputy, and a medic, I have conducted CPR on many, been in dispatch to instruct others to conduct it on downed people, and have been first in after talking someone to conduct it and finding out they were down the street and was able to respond. God, I wish I knew how to fix this in society. I often ask my relatives this question and find that even they are hesitant to perform when needed. I believe it has to do with death itself and knowing if they fail, they will have to deal with that also. If you ever find a good answer, send it out.
2006-12-30 13:32:48 · answer #1 · answered by spag 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
DOnt be so hard on them.
I dont know what it would be like to have someone go into cardiac arrest in front of me but my first guess would be that I would be in shock.
I doubt that they refuse (ie, no i wont do it)
but that they CANT, to hysterical to listen to the instructions etc.
I would think that that would be a NORMAL reaction but I commend you for continuing to try.
That has to be one of the hardest jobs in the world
dont loose faith.
There will be a call when someone (maybe not as intimately involved with the victim) will be nearby and will be able to take your directions and save a life.
DO you ever remember that show that came on in the early 90's called resuce 911 where they would re enact emergencies and play the actual tape and reunite the dispacter with the person that they saved.
IT was awesome
those dispatchers did a wonderful job
i am sure that you do too
keep up the good work!
2006-12-30 11:34:37 · answer #2 · answered by karen g 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would do CPR on a loved and even a complete stranger. I think that others that call in are reluctant to do CPR because of all the hyp a few years back. I think that they are scared because in their mind they may make the situation worse, when it really can't get any worse. I also think that they may do it wrong. Or maybe they think they are going to break a rib or 2 and then that could puncture a lung... It could also be just the stress from the situation that they are not able to gather their own thoughts enough to perform CPR.
2006-12-30 21:14:14 · answer #3 · answered by cutefirechick1982 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
After having this happen to me many, many ,many, times, I am hear to say the the people we are talking to on the phone are not strangers to the patient in most cases. I would be more understanding if they were- we are talking about family members, who are not hysterical, who are flat out refusing to help their loved ones. I have gone the route of telling people that their husband/wife/son what ever will most likely die before the ambulance gets there if they do not start CPR, and still they refuse. I have told them that they can not do it wrong if death is inevitable and that I will tell them exactly what to do until help arrives. Granted, I have never had to witness this in person, but am just also curious to Rebeccas question as to why people are so reluctant... I have been a dispatcher for 20 plus years and can count on one hand the amount of times I have been able to convince someone to start CPR, and I can not even begin to count the number of deaths as a result of it not being started. Last nights included.
C.S. I think I made it clear in what I posted above that we are not talking about complete strangers- I even said that I would understand that.. we are talking about immediate family members.. and if you don't think we have compassion, why in the world would we even care about these people that we are trying to help?
2006-12-30 12:02:51 · answer #4 · answered by jaye580 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the 9 years I've been a 911 Telecommunicator I've sucessfully done CPR numerous times over the phone. Breaking the panic threshold of a caller is always a problem, but good training shows you different methods of countering that. If a caller refuses to help, you can always have them hand the phone over to another person that may be nearby more willing to help. If you can't get them to no matter what you say, be content in knowing that you did everything you could to get help to that person quickly and efficiently, it won't be your concious that's bothering you that night, it will be the callers.
2006-12-31 22:32:48 · answer #5 · answered by the_mr911 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well.. im not a dispatcher but i'd tell them that if they want their loved one to have a better chance of surviving then they need to do CPR on them now. have them do it until atleast the EMT's show up. but people are stupid now a days.... they think everything is about gays and stuff. which is probably why guys will not as often give CPR to anouther guy.. i would attempt doing CPR on a loved one if nobody else would. hell id probably be the first one to step up to do it... because if theres oxygen going to their brain them they wont have that much damage when the EMT's show up. which is what people dont understand... when i first took a CPR class they told me to do it for like 5 minutes and if they didnt come back to give up.... well later they said do it until the EMT's arrive.
2006-12-30 11:17:10 · answer #6 · answered by Dont get Infected 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
On the patrol officer side, I am 3 for 5 in CPR saves. And because of it, my department has purchased the 1st set of AED's for the patrol vehicles. In our city are citizens are little more receptive to starting CPR given by dispatchers till we or FD arrive.
2006-12-30 12:51:01 · answer #7 · answered by Cpl Coop 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hear ya. If they would swallow their pride, they could possibly give the person some hope for life. I've been involved in the same situations as you.....many times when I dispatched. It is just plain aggravating. One person told me he's not putting his mouth on that MF. I wanted to tell him, then why did you even bother to call? As for me, I don't care who they are, I'll do CPR on anyone....there's a reason why God has me in EMS/Police/Fire......so I'll do what I can, when I can. Just keep on doing the good job you're doing. We're all in this together.
2006-12-30 11:16:07 · answer #8 · answered by cajunrescuemedic 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am not a dispatcher. I would try and do CPR on on a family member, but a stranger on the street? No. I would call for help, but I do not know if that stranger has Aids, or something like it.You sit in a safe environment and you are asking a complete stranger do something that could risk their own life. Have a little compassion on what you're asking a stranger to do for another stranger.
2006-12-30 12:07:43 · answer #9 · answered by c.s. 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's not that easy.
When someone you love is dying in front of you or at least making you think so, your brain doesn't work properly. My husband was a dispatcher for many years, and I can tell you that the first thing he was taught is that callers will not follow your orders.
It's easy for you say "okay, do this..." and it's another thing to be a panic-driven shock.
You have to learn that or you're going to fail miserable.
A dispatcher can save a person's life by getting an ambulence or police there in a hurry. A dispatcher should not depend on saving a person's life by way of a person who is in shock of what has just happened.
2006-12-30 11:22:55 · answer #10 · answered by FaZizzle 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋