Sunday, February 05, 2006

Could You Work At An Emergency Call Centre?

I heard the most incredible radio documentary yesterday. In 000 Ambulance you get to listen in on phone calls coming into Victoria's 000 (Australians call 000, not 911) emergency call centres.

These calls are harrowing.

A man calls from his backyard after poking his eye OUT of the socket with a shovel.

A husband calls in his wife's stroke.

Heroin users resuscitate an overdosed mate.

Onlookers help out a victim of a baseball bat attack.

But this Radio Eye documentary isn't voyeurism. We hear from some of the emergency call takers and find out how they cope with these calls.

How would you deal with a SIDS call?

I couldn't.

Here's a link to the podcast of this hour of stunning radio.

2 comments:

Ramona said...

This was followed by an equally brilliant doco 'trauma'. When you hear someone being told how the treatment for their recently discovered brain tumour is going to go it is profoundly moving and sad. brilliant radio that will stay with me for some time.

Glenn Peters said...

That's so right.

I haven't stopped thinking about the brain tumour guy since.

There's so much to how he reacts to the situation. From matter of fact to brave indifference and to plain annoyance.

For those who came in late, Trauma is the second part of this documentary series, taking place in the emergency ward of the Prince Alfred Hospital.

Next week, it's a 12 hour shift with a Melbourne ambulance driver.