Winter Weather Woes

I’ve lived in Connecticut my whole life. I expect to deal with snow, ice, wind, and slippery conditions during the frigid months of January and February; it’s one of the pains (and joys) of being a New Englander.  I talked to my friend from college last week who recently moved to DC with her husband.  She is not happy with the weather, and assured me, she “didn’t sign up for this.”

Across most of the Mid-Atlantic region, wintery weather was record-breaking this season.  The cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Wilmington have reported the heaviest snow totals since record keeping began in the late 19^th century.  In addition, Washington, DC reported 54.9″ of snow this season, exceeding the 54.4″ reported in the 1898-1899 season. 

I had never thought how weather patterns would affect 911 dispatching until coming to PowerPhone as Marketing Director.  As a 911 dispatcher, it is a given your shifts will be unpredictable.  Adding constantly changing weather patterns into the already hectic mix inevitably leads to an interesting day of work.

In the City of Poughkeepsie, NY, many businesses and schools were closed prior to Wednesday’s incoming storm.  Because of local precautions, there was less traffic, which meant fewer accidents, minimizing incoming calls. Other towns that did not plan accordingly received numerous motor vehicle accident calls, and reports of falls on slippery sidewalks and roadways.

How can your 911 dispatch center ensure the safety of each caller doing a winter storm?  As calls are coming in, it is important to use techniques taught in all of PowerPhone’s courses.  The Journalistic- Investigative Approach, urges dispatchers to gather as much information as possible. Thinking in multiples. Never assume related calls are linked to one incident, and always confirm the number of victims involved in an incident.  The experienced telecommunicator avoids the 300 Call Syndrome and treats each and every call as an emergency.

Dispatcher’s who use the PowerPhone Formula approach, know to collect accurate information by asking as many questions as possible and treating each call as unique.  These are the call-takers I want answering my emergency call, especially during the dangerous winter months.

How is your communications center dealing with winter weather calls?  Are you experiencing a higher call volume than usual this season?  I would like to hear your thoughts.

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