Emergency Dispatchers and Vicarious Trauma: It’s Real and It Matters

“There’s an officer down…my child won’t wake up…I’m going to end it all right now.” Emergency dispatchers hear it all. That’s their job, to take the calls and listen to people’s fear, anguish, and suffering. Often dispatchers are surprised to learn there is a name for the potential consequence of those calls, and that’s vicarious trauma.

What is Vicarious Trauma?

Vicarious trauma is bearing witness to others’ pain and suffering – which is what emergency dispatchers do every day. Granted, every call is not a life-or-death emergency. But the next one could be. Each time dispatchers take a call, there is the possibility of a dangerous, heart-breaking, or chaotically unclear situation for which they must take charge.

Vicarious traumatization refers to a negative reaction to trauma exposure. Upsetting memories or flashbacks of the event, being especially irritable or angry, having trouble sleeping, and being emotionally numb are a few of the reactions that can result from exposure to other’s trauma.

About Trauma Exposure

“Potentially” is an important word. Exposure to trauma will not impact everyone the same way. What is traumatic to one person may not be traumatic to another. And what is not disturbing to a person for 129 times of hearing it may suddenly hit them like a ton of bricks. As a 13-year veteran dispatcher said, “You’re rocked, and it echoes in your head.”

“It didn’t bother me before.” The fact that an incident impacts someone doesn’t mean they are lousy at their job or need to find a new line of work. A wide range of circumstances can impact why a dispatcher has a stress reaction. For some, it may be the build-up of those calls over time. For others, the call comes at a time when current life circumstances have reduced their resilience - maybe they have been sleeping less or feeling isolated. Situation-specific aspects of the call also may trigger a traumatic response. That 130th call might involve a fatal car accident of a grandmother and her 3-year-old granddaughter on a special outing - and the dispatcher’s mom was supposed to pick up his toddler today and take her for ice cream.

New technology. More exposure. The potential for traumatic exposure for dispatchers is about to hit new levels with the introduction of Next Generation 911 (NG911). This technology allows individuals to send 911 operators images, video, and streaming media of the emergency event.

Personal Impact

The traumatic calls, high stakes, and feeling overworked and undervalued take a toll on emergency dispatchers. Increasingly we hear about First Responders’ vulnerabilities to the emotional challenges of the job. But the first First Responder, emergency call dispatchers, are often left out of the conversation.

  • Emotional and physical impact. Research on emergency dispatchers’ health and well-being is limited but suggests similar outcomes as other First Responders. Compassion fatigue, substance abuse, psychological distress, physical symptoms, and PTSD all can occur for emergency dispatchers at higher rates than average.

  • Challenges to resilience. Many things can wear a person down, but cumulative exposure to trauma, including other people’s trauma, takes a toll. Resilience is all about withstanding the adversity life throws at a person and coming out on the other side in a healthy way. It is NOT being the Teflon-man or -woman, where nothing ever sticks. Luckily, just as resilience can be worn down, it can also be built up.

  • “It’s important what I do.” Not to be forgotten is the positive impact of the job. Most emergency dispatchers will tell you they enjoy and take pride in their work. The rewards are enormous when they “win” one with helping a parent find their child in the neighbor’s backyard or getting units to an endangered officer in time.

Strategies for Building Resilience

Solutions can only happen if both agencies and emergency dispatchers recognize there is a problem. Interestingly, some dispatchers may not consider their trauma as equal to their colleagues in the field, and be reluctant to name, much less seek help for, their own stress reactions. True, dispatchers are not facing threats to their physical safety. But they are living and breathing those experiences for others, often with the added burden of analyzing very limited information so they can send the cavalry in time.

Organizational Support

Organizations can make a clear and profound impact on dispatchers’ resilience and emotional health. Here are some ideas agencies might consider.

  • Get smart on vicarious trauma. A great resource to learn about vicarious trauma is the Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, funded by the Department of Justice for First Responder organizations.

  • Gear up for 911NextGen. If your emergency service system will be implementing 911NextGen consider the training and support dispatchers will need due to the additional trauma exposure.

  • Provide peer support services. If you have a peer support program, invite a dispatcher to train and join. NENA (National Emergency Number Association) has a Peer Support guide on developing programs.

  • Include dispatchers in debriefings. After a critical incident, offer dispatchers the same services as frontline staff. Invite the involved dispatchers to debriefings and/or offer mental health “check-ups.”

  • Provide recognition. If a dispatcher did an exemplary job, publicly recognize their efforts the same as you would for other members of your organization.

  • Assess the culture. Talk to your dispatchers, you may be surprised what you learn. Consider having frontline staff do “sit-alongs” to see the real-time demands of dispatchers’ jobs.

Individual Strategies

Dispatchers must also take responsibility for their own mental health. Not all dispatchers will be impacted by vicarious trauma but recognizing the potential is an important first step.

  • Learn about the stress response. Increased levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, are often associated with crisis situations. Left unchecked cortisol can weaken the immune system, raise the risk of diabetes, increase blood pressure, and lead to gastro-intestinal problems.

  • Regularly practice self-regulation strategies. Deep, slow, full breaths is one of the very best ways to regulate the stress response and reduce stress-related risk factors. Meditation is another great strategy. Use this breathing exercise at the start of your day, after a tough call, or as part of your end-of-shift routine.

  • Download an app. Still on the subject of self-regulation (it’s that important!), download a free app such as the VA’s Mindfulness Coach or PTSD Coach.

  • Invest time in your relationships. Supportive personal relationships are one of the best predictors of resilience. Schedule time with a loved one, seek out friendships, or volunteer for a cause.

  • Practice gratitude. You hear the negatives all day. Identify 3 things each day for which you are grateful. Nurturing a flexible, optimistic mindset is another protective factor.

  • Invest in a hobby. The work of emergency services can be all-consuming. Many emergency dispatchers speak to the importance of having other outlets away from the job.

  • Talk with someone you trust. It may be a colleague, spouse, chaplain, or professional counselor, but if you are struggling, talk with someone you trust. Tell them how you are really doing.

Simply recognizing that vicarious trauma is real can go a long way toward finding strategies and creating policies that positively impact emergency dispatchers’ resilience and emotional health. Dispatchers – the first First Responder - deserve the effort.

TIAG Creative