April 18, 2008

Appreciate our dispatchers

Justin Peeper was right on with his editorial April 15 regarding those who serve in our Wells County Dispatch Center. And the same could be said for other dispatch centers as well.

On Saturday, February 11, 2006, my family and I left home early in the morning as we often do during basketball season and did not return until about 7:30 that evening. When we returned home, there was a message on our answering machine from my brother-in-law who lived alone in Florida. His speech was slurred in the message, so we called him right away. His speech was worse, and he proceeded to say that he had awaken with some issues earlier that day and thought he might have had a stroke.

Here we are - 1400 miles away from him and feeling helpless. We knew we needed to get medical help to him quickly. So, while my husband stayed on a cell phone with his brother, I dialed our dispatch center to see if they could give me a phone number for the dispatch center of Collier County, FL. Our local dispatcher utilized the resources she had and got the number I needed.

I called the dispatch center in Florida, and my husband tried to keep his brother talking on the other phone. The dispatcher in Florida stayed on the line with me until we knew that emergency personnel were with my brother-in-law. She was professional and compassionate.

A little later that evening, I received a return call from our Wells County Dispatch Center to make sure we had made the connections in Florida and that everything was OK. Wow. That was really the extra mile in my book. The people I came into contact with in both of these dispatch centers helped at a very stressful time and did so in a very caring way.

This experience also offers an opportunity to remind people about the importance of knowing the symptoms of stroke. If recognized and treated quickly (within 3 hours of onset), the lasting effects of stroke can be lessened. Symptoms of stroke are: weakness, numbness, or paralysis of the face or one side of the body; difficulty walking; loss of balance or coordination; slurred speech; unexplained falls or dizziness; vision problems; and/or trouble comprehending normal communications. Unfortunately for my brother-in-law, he received treatment far too late to have an optimal outcome.

So, I’ll agree with Justin. Thank our emergency dispatchers. And, know the symptoms of stroke and share them with the people you love.

Tamra Boucher
Markle