On August 22, 2023, at 21:26, an Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Communications Officer processed an EMS call for a male patient who advised he had alcohol poisoning and wanted to go to detox. The call occurred in a remote area, so the EMS response time was extended. This was a 17-minute phone call until responders arrived on the scene. Our CO was professional with this caller. She established a rapport with the caller early on and assured him several times that help was on the way. Once our CO provided EMD instructions and attempted to end the call with the closing statement, the caller asked if our CO would stay on the line with him. The caller asked for our COs name, which she provided. The remainder of the call was spent with our CO showing compassion for the caller in his time of need. This allowed the caller to open up and express his feelings to our CO, to which the caller thanked her several times.
Our dedicated communications officer displayed great professionalism and compassion above the call of duty, which resulted in the caller feeling heard and understood. In a fast-paced environment where our jobs always have us “on to the next emergency”, she took the time to stay on the line with the caller and loan him an empathetic ear until EMS arrived.
Please join us in congratulating this Eastern Shore of Virginia Communications officer for her exceptional performance and awarding her the “Teammates in Action Award.”
