No Place for Heels

I walked into Station 12 of Montgomery Fire/Rescue Friday inappropriately dressed for my ride-a-long in a dress and heels. I walked out later that afternoon suited up with a new appreciation of the difficult nature of the job of firefighters and fire medics.

Once Police Lt. Tonya Thompson got me properly suited up for the job in borrowed blue pants, a Department of Public Safety jacket and boots, I was ready to ride. I had barely walked into the station before we received our first emergency call. I rode with Lt. Anthony Welch and Medic Brian Dewberry. We responded to a car crash on the interstate. The driver had flipped his vehicle into a deep ditch and paramedics got busy treating him for his injuries until he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

We returned to the station where District Fire Chief B.S. Hackett gave me a tour, explaining to me the schedule of the firefighters and the differences among the many types of fire trucks. I never realized there were so many kinds- one for pumping water, one with ladders for search and rescue, medic trucks, and lifesaving equipment trucks. It is all still kind of spinning in my head.

Chief Hackett directs 36 people on one of three shifts, including seven-year veteran Welch and Dewberry. We stopped for an excellent lunch cooked by the firefighters and medics. If you ever get a chance to eat a home-cooked meal in a fire station, take it. They grill a mean pork chop and dine together just like a family. After all, they are a family.

The afternoon brought several emergency calls, including a woman having chest pains and another possibly in a diabetic coma. I watched the two young medics carefully take the time to ask the right questions, get IV’s started to pump glucose, do EKG’s and take vital signs, all while under the careful watch of frantic family members unsure if their loved ones would live or die. Both medics were able to comfort these families and answer their questions while administering lifesaving procedures.

The firefighters and medics at Station 12 were the individuals responsible for responding to a big fire that recently broke out on Thomas Avenue. Montgomery resident Martha Jane Dawson described this week the fire department’s response more eloquently than I ever could:

“The sight we saw as we ran from our house was unbelievable. Flames roaring skyward as far as you could see — flames and smoke coming from every direction. The firemen surrounded the beautiful old home, working diligently to confine the fire, determined to save as much of the house as possible. They worked hard to keep the fire from the two homes next door. They worked tirelessly until every cinder was extinguished.”

I can’t imagine any group I would want more rescuing my family or saving my property. These men are heroes.

The Heart behind the Voice

I have come to a conclusion. There can't be enough police officers or 911 operators to handle the overwhelming number of calls they receive. Yet somehow they get the job done.

Why am I thinking about this? I started a new job last week with the Montgomery Department of Public Safety. To learn about what the departments do, I am spending time with the people in the trenches. Emergency Communications was first on the list and I spent a good part of a shift with a 911 operator Friday night.

I imagined Halle Berry in the movie "The Call." Although they do experience a high level of stress like Berry, there was no one tracking a kidnapped girl at a remote farmhouse in the country. The GPS technology used in the movie was also just Hollywood magic.

The stress, however, is real. In fact, Emergency Communications Director Larry Fisher said the turnover rate for the job is 20 percent or more, an extremely high number.

Lt. Angela Rigsby is one employee who has learned how to deal with the stress. She has worked for the department for more than 16 years. I listened in as she handled with professionalism everything from multiple car wrecks to domestic violence calls. I heard her soothe terrified people who could barely tell her their names or where they were. She has a special knack for helping people at their most vulnerable. She must also be able to fully comprehend what is going on so that she can alert responders and get that information dispatched to the appropriate person.

Domestic violence situations are in the top third of all calls.

Not all calls are emergencies. Sometimes the calls are administrative such as getting information on warrants or repossessions. The tasks from these calls must be handled in between emergency calls. On Friday, the phone never stopped ringing while I was there. I'm not sure how the employees do as much as they do.

Potential employees must attend an off-site training academy for twelve to fourteen weeks before they can start on-the-job training.

Major Melinda Chandler said Montgomery has the only emergency communications department in Alabama with an off-site training center. "Our standards are self-imposed," she said. The training program is considered a model for the entire state.

A giant sign in emergency communications center says it best: Dispatchers are the heart behind the voice. The people of Montgomery get to experience that level of commitment on a daily basis.

"We are called the lifeline for a reason," Director Fisher said.