It's a cold rainy September night, about 9pm, I sit at my desk wondering what my next call may be. In front of me I have three computer screens and two telephones. Suddenly I get a call, its for a male who is passed out on the sidewalk. I ask "Is he breathing?" the caller says "Yes, his breath smells like alcohol. I think hes drunk." After I get the address I send the rescue. The rescue gets to the patient and transports him to the hospital.
As the rescue is transporting to the hospital, I get another call. "Fire department, whats your emergency?" usually two seconds after I ask that question I could tell how serious the call is. "HELP, PLEASE HELP! SEND SOMEONE TO THE CORNERS OF STAR STREET AND BRIDGE STREET!" So I ask, "Ma'am you need to please calm down, what is going on?" she answers with, "OH GOD HE ISN'T BREATHING YOU NEED TO GET HERE NOW!" It is my job to find out exactly what happened at an incident so I can send the right amount of resources. "I understand, but what happened? Why isn't he breathing?" she replies with "MY SON, HE WAS HIT BY A CAR, HE ISN'T BREATHING AND HE NEEDS HELP NOW" As i learn the new information I am putting it into the computer at the same time. Before the computer tells me who I need to send, I already know my only rescue is still on their way to the hospital with the intoxicated male. "Okay miss, everything will be alright. I will send the fire department to your location" at this point she is nervously grateful. I send the fire engine and I have to ask surrounding communities for a rescue, because mine isn't available, on what is considered a non emergency call. I finally get a community that has one available, but it is 15 minutes away. I get a call from the police "Hey fire, its police. Regarding the boy struck by a car at the corners of Star street and Bridge Street, he isn't breathing. Step up your response."
The fire engine arrives on scene and re-ensures us of our worst fear. This child is going to die if we don't get him to the hospital as soon as possible. Finally the rescue from the surrounding community gets to the scene, 20 minutes later because they were stuck in rush hour traffic and motorist weren't pulling over. This rescue now transports a lifeless 12 year old boy to the hospital where he later dies. A family is now broken, and forever changed. Of course as the call taker, you feel a little guilty, but you have to remember its not your fault. You also wonder "If that guy hadn't call the fire department for a drunk guy, this little boy could have possibly lived.

These are real situations, that happen everyday. Unfortunately the general public is typically unaware of what some of us first responders and emergency personnel go through. Every time we see a family, we remember that call. Whenever we start our own family, we remember that call. Every time something like this happens again to us or if we see it on the news, we remember that call.