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June 13, 2008

911 changes way it trains operators

By Kim Sloan

Tammy Walkey had no idea what she was going to face when she took a job at Whitfield County 911 last month.

As she sat with trainer Ashlee Swilling looking at five screens of information, Walkey said it was “a lot to take in.”

“I thought they were (telephone) operators, basically,” Walkey said. “I was surprised at the volume that goes through here.”

Walkey and two other new operators, Angela Campbell and Anthony Cross, recently completed classroom training and have spent the past week observing. While in the classroom, the trio became familiar with policy, procedures, codes, terminology and equipment. There are 24 full-time operators and eight part-time employees at 911.

Walkey observed on a recent Saturday afternoon as the number of calls on the screen varied.

“Yesterday we had 30 (calls at one time),” Walkey said. “Today we have two calls.”

Swilling, who has been with 911 two and a half years, understands that new employees may be overwhelmed.

“It’s more than just answering the phone and saying ‘Whitfield County 911,’” Swilling said.

While working on a recent Saturday afternoon, Swilling dealt with callers who were involved in minor car wrecks and those who had heart problems.

The agency has changed the way operators are trained. Before, operators just observed, Swilling said. Now, operators train for six months. That training includes classes at the Public Safety Training Academy in Forsyth and 144 hours on the job learning about answering calls for the different agencies, which include:

• EMS (ambulance services)

• Dalton Fire Department

• Dalton Police Department

• Whitfield County Fire Department (includes the Cohutta Fire Department)

• Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office (includes the Cohutta, Tunnel Hill and Varnell police departments)

Walkey, who has a background in customer service, said she has had to adjust to giving instructions during medical emergency calls. If a person is in cardiac arrest or facing another medical emergency, the 911 operators are trained to help.

“We are the ‘first’ first responders,” Swilling said.

Operators are trained in CPR and must certify again each year.

And the training does not end after the six months. Teams, which are in four shifts, also train together.

“The teams train every Monday,” Swilling said. “We make calls to each other to practice.”

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