On November 21, 2023, Communications Operator Crystal Mazeika-Pahl fielded a phone call from a mother who reported her eleven-month-old infant had drowned in the bathtub. These types of calls can unnerve the best of us. The first thing Crystal did to gain control of this situation was to develop a rapport with her caller. Crystal realized that if she was going to provide lifesaving EMD instructions and have the mother comply, she needed to shift the mother’s focus to her questions.
Crystal provided the caller with EMD Infant CPR instructions for approximately four and a half minutes until the caller disconnected. Crystal knew the importance of the protocol and how essential the instructions were for the patient. Crystal made phone contact with the mother and explained that they needed to continue with the CPR instructions till help arrived. An additional five and half minutes of infant CPR was provided to the infant until the scene was turned over to the first arriving deputy.
Crystal understood how imperative persistence was in this situation and how vital the information was that she was providing. It is not that often that we hear from the personnel in the field on either an outcome or a compliment on the care that was provided prior to their arrival. In this situation the EMS crew contacted dispatch to thank Crystal for her excellent work. They also wanted to bring light to the fact that they saw how EMD in collaboration with the EMS system really works!
Please join us in congratulating Communications Operator Crystal Mazeika-Pahl for her exceptional performance and awarding her the “Teammates in Action Award.”
Thank you, Communications Operator Crystal Mazeika-Pahl, for your commitment to providing exceptional customer service and patient care.
