Inside a 911 Communications Center: Michelle Khare Trains as a Dispatcher
Michelle Khare
For National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Michelle Khare spent a day with the South Metro Fire Rescue emergency communications center to find out what it takes to be the person who answers a 911 call. Khare frames dispatchers as "the first first responder." The video follows a progression: watching live calls, taking the pre-employment tests that screen candidates, hearing from staff about the job's emotional weight, and finally handling a mock emergency call on their own.
Why 911 Matters
The video opens with scale. According to the episode, 911 is dialed about 240 million times a year in the United States, which works out to roughly 600,000 calls a day. Khare points out that the universal emergency number is relatively recent. Before the 1960s, people had to memorize and dial the numbers of their local police and fire departments if they wanted help. The question driving the episode is what actually happens today when someone dials those three digits.
The Console and the 45-Second Clock
The communications floor is a wall of monitors. Khare jokingly calls it "the ultimate gaming setup for adults," and a staff member adds "and saving lives." Khare is introduced to Sara, a dispatcher, who explains the core constraint of the job. Once a call comes in, Sara has 45 seconds to get the address, the phone number, and what is happening, so that crews can be assigned.
The call appears on the call screen. The dispatcher answers it through a headset and then enters a "problem nature," a category such as fire alarm or bomb threat. Sara says they luckily have never had to use the bomb threat category. Another staff member, Lisa, notes that they do many SWAT assists. Khare is given a headset with a mute switch so they can listen in, and is warned not to press the transmit button unless they are ready to speak on the radio.
A Live Aircraft Emergency
While Khare is still being set up, a real call arrives: an aircraft emergency at Centennial Airport involving two jets. Sara explains that the landing gear apparently is not deploying. If a plane cannot lower its gear, it could crash on landing. Crews are sent out, and the dispatchers listen to the tower's radio traffic as the jets try to land. The first jet lands safely while they wait on the second. Sara's explanation of the response is that "you send a lot just in case," and the scene already has as much help as it needs.
A Fall, Handled at the Same Time
While the aircraft situation is still unfolding, another call comes in. Sara answers with "South Metro Fire Rescue, what's the address of your emergency," verifies the address, gets the callback number, and asks what happened. The caller is an elderly woman who was sitting in her garage drinking coffee and fell. Sara tells her early in the call that help is already headed to her, then asks whether she is alone. Sara also tells her not to eat or drink anything, because it might make her sick or cause further problems, and to rest in whatever position is most comfortable.
Sara uses the call to correct what they describe as a big misconception: that dispatchers wait to send help until they finish asking questions. As soon as they have a phone number, an address, and a sense of what is going on, help is dispatched. The follow-up questions happen while responders are already on the way.
Khare remarks on going from supporting a possible plane crash to helping a woman who fell. Sara says every day is different, and mentions having delivered a couple of babies over the phone by instructing callers through the birth. That detail sets up the episode's final challenge.
The Pre-Employment Tests
Before Khare can take a call, they sit for some of the pre-employment tests South Metro uses for candidates. The tests are designed to reflect real work on the dispatch floor: data entry, memory recall, basic map reading, and multitasking.
In the first module, a scenario appears with a distinctive sound, and the candidate must pick one response type: police, fire, EMS, or utility. The examples show why this is harder than it sounds. For "man throws lamp at girlfriend's head," Khare reasons that it sounds like EMS but chooses police. For "electrical power lines falling down on highway," they choose utility despite hesitating because it is on a highway. For "woman shoots at her husband during an argument," Khare's instinct is that it needs everyone. The proctor explains the principle: the initial call may lead to other things, but the question is who needs to go right now, and you only get one choice. Khare gets them all right.
The later modules add interruptions. A screen pops up in the middle of another task with information to capture, such as a spelled-out name ("Zachary, Z-A-C-H-A-R-Y; first name Christina"), or a rapid string of phone numbers to recall. The proctor ties this to real calls: a caller may get out only part of the information before disconnecting or hanging up, so the dispatcher must retain whatever they hear. Khare gets all of the number recalls right except one.
Map Reading Without Google Maps
The final test is map reading: giving directions without digital navigation, while accounting for traffic direction signs. In the scenario, a police officer starts at the intersection of Gateway and Second and needs the most direct route to a location. Khare struggles ("my head hurts") and first picks an incorrect answer. The proctor explains why this skill is still tested: dispatchers rely on a lot of technology, but if it is unavailable or fails, they have to go "old school." Khare then works out a route of left on Second, east on Second, right on Gateway, counts four blocks, and lands on First and Bromwell.
Khare finishes the modules with 98% accuracy. The proctor says that would make them a top candidate who would move on in the hiring process, and sums up the traits the job demands: you need to know your way around a keyboard, be a multitasker, process information very quickly, and be mentally strong.
The STEM School Shooting
The episode then shifts to the job's emotional side. A news clip introduces a school shooting with multiple injuries outside Denver, and a staff member who was manager of the center at the time describes the STEM school shooting as one of the calls that affected them most. The shift on duty that day was the same shift working during filming. The former manager says you never think it will happen to your center or district, and that they had to do a self-check and tell themselves it was "time to show what we trained for."
They call the center's handling of that call one of their proudest moments as manager. Dispatchers heard the traffic going out over the police department's channel and had units responding before the law enforcement agency formally notified them. According to the former manager, this significantly improved patient transport times and the outcomes for some of the people involved. Calls like that don't happen often, they say, but when they do, the team is "on our A-game."
The Toll, and the Recognition Problem
Staff describe the stress plainly. Sometimes dispatchers are the last voice a person hears. The former manager says support for responders has come a long way. It used to be that people never talked about this, and getting emotional would have been seen as a sign of weakness. Now they see shedding a tear as raw, and as a sign that dispatchers are still human and that the work still affects them.
They also raise a classification issue: the federal government refers to the position as a receptionist. The speaker says this is not meant to diminish receptionists, but argues that dispatching is much more than answering the phone and transferring a call.
The Final Challenge: A Mock Childbirth Call
For the final test, Khare returns to the floor and stands at their own console for a mock call with an actor. They have no idea what the scenario will be. Sara jokes that it could be a cat in a tree or something like a normal day in their life.
Khare answers with the center's greeting. The caller gives an address of 9195 Mineral Avenue in a panic, and Khare asks them to repeat it, confirming 9195 East Mineral Avenue. The caller says his wife's water broke and she seems to be going into labor. Khare works through the questions: is he with her (yes, she is on the floor), how old is she (32), is she awake (yes, and breathing through the pain). With Sara coaching on when to advance in the system, Khare asks how many weeks pregnant she is (38, third trimester) and whether any part of the baby is visible. The caller says he thinks he sees the head.
Khare tells the caller paramedics are being sent and to stay on the line, then reads the instructions. Don't try to prevent the birth, don't have her cross her legs, don't let her sit on the toilet, let her take the most comfortable position, and have her breathe deeply between contractions. Khare initially tells the caller to "try to push the baby back in," then corrects themselves: the instruction is to apply firm but gentle pressure with each contraction so the baby's head doesn't deliver too fast and cause tearing.
As the birth proceeds, Khare tells the caller to support the baby's head and shoulders, hold its hips and legs firmly, and remember that the baby will be slippery. Khare tells him to have his wife push hard. Once the caller reports the shoulders are out and the baby has been delivered, Khare asks whether the baby is crying or breathing (there is some crying), then tells him to dry the baby off with a clean towel. Khare reassures the couple that help is on the way until the caller hears paramedics at the door. Khare tells him to let them in and ends the call once responders are inside.
Afterward
Khare is shaken: "that was way more intense than I thought it would be." They say they kept imagining what it would be like if it were real. A dispatcher tells Khare they did a really good job and says they have been doing this work for nine years. The way to get through it, they say, is practice and reminding yourself that "we're here to help those on their worst day." Khare agrees that this is the best part of the job.
The center presents Khare with an honorary South Metro Fire dispatch badge and thanks them for showing the world what dispatchers do. The episode closes with a dispatcher saying: "I wouldn't do anything else."
So we're going to do some mock calls. We've got some pretty good actors lined up. And I will have no idea what's coming? Nope, nope. So it could be a cat in a tree? Absolutely. It could be just like a day in my life. You're going to be living it. You're going to be doing it. You got this.
Every year in the United States, 911 is dialed 240 million times. 911. 911, what's your emergency? That's roughly 600... 911... single day.
Not too long ago, the concept of calling a universal, easy-to-dial emergency number didn't even exist. Before the 1960s, callers had to memorize and dial the number of their local police and fire departments if they wanted any chance at receiving help.
So in the year 2022, what actually happens when you dial 911? Well, today I'm going to see what it's really like to be the first first responder and the person who picks up the phone when you dial 911. Challenge accepted.
Oh my gosh. All right, Michelle, welcome to South Metro Fire Rescue Emergency Communications. Wow, this is where all the 911 calls come in. This is incredible. There's so many monitors. Yes, this is the ultimate gaming setup for adults. And saving lives. And saving lives. So we'll come over here and I'll introduce you to Sara.
It's so nice to meet you. I'm so glad you're here today. Oh my gosh, Sara, I'm so excited to meet you. Come on in. Step into my office. So yeah, like I said, mission control. Yeah, there's a lot. Maybe let's start from the beginning. What happens when a call comes in?
I have 45 seconds that I need to get the address, the phone number, and what's going on in order to get it over to get crews assigned to it. So initially it's going to drop in on my call screen here. We're going to answer it. It's going to come into our headset, and then from there we're going to put in our problem nature. You got fire alarms, bomb threat. Luckily we've never had to put that one in.
It says SWAT assist. We do a lot of SWAT assists. I'm actually doing SWAT next month. Seriously? Yeah, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss that one. I'm gonna watch it.
We're gonna get ready for a phone call, right? That phone's gonna ring and we're gonna answer it. Right now? Yeah. Wait, oh my God. Nope, not yet. You're good. Let's give you your headset. You've got a mute switch here. Oh, so I'm going to be listening in when you take real calls? Yeah, we're going to have you listen. I'm going to be closed the entire time.
Can I push that? I shouldn't. Don't push that unless you're ready to. This is actually your transmit button. So see, I've got it in mine. Hello. Don't send anyone. There is no emergency occurring. Okay, all right, cool.
Oh my God. Aircraft emergency? What? Are you kidding me? Yeah, so that's Centennial Airport, and that's an Air Alert Two for gear. Two jets. So that's the call they just built and dropped it in. Those in the flight. So they're in the air having an emergency? Correct. Sounds like their landing gear is not going down. If they can't get their landing gear down, it could cause a potential crash when they hit the runway. So we're going to send our crews out there. They are, yep.
So we're listening to center. They have their tower control. Airport Five is the one talking right now. So no low. So they're just going to try and land without wheels?
All right, so okay, safely landed. Okay, yep. You send a lot just in case, and then that jet landed safely. We're waiting for the second jet, but we have as much there as we need.
This is another call coming in? Yeah. So while a plane crash is happening? Correct. South Metro Fire Rescue, what's the address of your emergency? Caller, are you there? Ma'am, can you verify your address for me, please? Perfect. What's the phone number that you're calling from?
Can you tell me exactly what happened? I was sitting out in the garage drinking my coffee and...
I want you to know I've got some help already headed to the apartment, okay? Are you there by yourself? Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna try and ask you just a couple of questions, but again, they're already on their way.
There is a big misconception when you call 911 that we're waiting to send help. So as soon as we have your phone number, your address, and then we know what's going on, as soon as we have that information, we're sending help out the door.
Again, help's on the way. You're welcome. From now on, don't have anything to eat or drink, okay? It might make you sick or cause further problems. And again, I want you to just rest in the most comfortable position for you, okay? You're welcome. No, you're fine. That's what we're here for. You're welcome. Bye-bye.
Wow. You went from supporting in a plane crash to helping an elderly woman who just fell. Every day is different. I've delivered a couple babies over the phone. What? Yeah, it's pretty exciting. You have instructed someone on how to deliver a baby? Yep. So I'm going to need to learn how to do all of this today? Yeah. Okay, yeah.
All right, Michelle, so what we're going to get started with here is some of our pre-employment tests that can directly relate to what you will do on the dispatch floor. So what specific skills is this testing me on? Data entry, memory recall. We also have some basic map reading. Multitasking? There definitely is multitasking. Got it.
Each time a new emergency message is presented, you will hear a distinctive sound. It's going to give you a scenario, and then you have to select: is that a police response, fire response, EMS response, or utility response? Okay, here we go.
Man throws lamp at girlfriend's head. I mean, that sounds EMS, but did it land? Police. Next question: electrical power lines falling down on highway. Utility, but it's in a highway.
Woman shoots at her husband during an argument. That seems like an all of the above, to be honest. You have to think the initial call. Now that might lead to other things, but who needs to go right now? You only get one choice. Please, please, please. Boom. Let's go. I got them all right.
So as we go through other modules, this little screen is gonna pop up while you're in the middle of doing something else. Stop. Good luck. Last name Zachary, Z-A-C-H-A-R-Y. First name Christina.
Everything that we've done so far is part of the call-taking process. Someone may only get some information out and then either disconnect or hang up. 981-8752-428-7516-438-2861. Girl. 438-2861. Okay. I got all of them correct except one. Not bad. That was hard. Yeah.
Final test: map reading. Giving someone directions without Google Maps? What? What's the most direct route from your location to the world? All of the traffic direction signs. The most direct route. The police officer starts at the intersection of Gateway and Second. Oh my God, my head hurts.
Obviously we rely on a lot of technology, but if that technology is not available or something fails, we have to go back old school. I think D. Incorrect. Oh no. Left on Second. East on Second, right on Gateway. Yes, yes. How many blocks? Girl. Okay, one, two, three, four. First and Bromwell. Yay. 98% accuracy.
Based on the modules you took today, you'd be a top candidate and moving on in the process. Okay, cool. You know your way around a keyboard. You have to be a multitasker. You have to be able to process information very quickly. You have to be able to be mentally strong. The calls that come in, sometimes they're easy calls and sometimes they're not easy calls.
We begin tonight with the headline that sadly is a familiar one: a school shooting, multiple injuries, this time outside Denver.
One of the things that probably hits me the most is the STEM school shooting. This was the shift that was actually on for that. You never think that it's going to happen to your center or to your district. I had to do a self-check and say, it's time to show what we trained for.
That's probably one of my proudest moments as the manager at the time of the center, is how we handled that call. We heard the traffic going out over the PD channel, so we had units responding to the incident before we even got notification from the law enforcement agency, which significantly improved patient transport times and the outcome of some of those individuals. And so that's really the type of calls, they don't happen often, but when they happen, we're on our A-game and we're ready to go.
There's calls where we're the last voice that that person hears. So it's a stressful job. We've come a long way in the support of our responders, right? We used to never talk about this. It would be a sign of weakness for me to kind of catch up on myself and shed a tear, but I think it's raw, and it shows that we're still human and it still impacts us.
The federal government actually refers to this position as a receptionist. Not taking anything away from what receptionists do, but it's more than just answering the phone and transferring a call. There's a lot more that goes into it.
Oh, we're back. We are back. It's so intimidating, and now I have to stand here. This is now your console for your final challenge. So we're gonna do some mock calls. We've got some pretty good actors lined up. And I will have no idea what's coming? So it could be a cat in a tree? Absolutely. It could be just like a day in my life. You're gonna be living it. You're gonna be doing it. You got this. Ready?
South Metro Fire Rescue, what's the address of your emergency? It's 9195 Mineral Avenue. 919... Hurry. Do you mind repeating the address one more time? Yes, 9195 East Mineral Avenue. Now tell me exactly what's going on. My wife's water broke. I think she's going into labor. You guys gotta... Okay. What should I do?
Are you with your wife right now? Yeah, she's here right now. She's laying on the floor. How old is she? She's 32. Is she currently awake or conscious? Yeah, she's awake. She's kind of trying to breathe through it. Okay, so she's breathing? She's got a lot of pain. Yeah, she's breathing. Hold on, honey, they're coming. They're coming. Just breathe through it. Breathe through it. I know.
And then that's... He didn't mention that, so just hit your green arrow. Perfect. Now I go with questions. How many weeks pregnant is she? You're 38 weeks, I think. 38 weeks. Third trimester.
Can you see any part of the baby right now? Hold on, let me see. Yeah, I think it's part of the head. It's my head. Perfect, now just follow those. Okay, so I'm sending the paramedics to help you right now. Stay on the line, and I'm going to tell you exactly what to do next. Okay, okay, I'm ready.
Okay, so first of all, do not try to prevent the birth. Do not have her cross her legs. Tell her to not sit on the toilet. Allow her to assume the most comfortable position, and have her take deep breaths in between the contractions. Well, you can't just try to breathe through your contractions. Just breathe. It's okay. Keep going.
Now with each contraction, you're going to place the palm of your hand against her vagina. Okay. Now apply... Try to push the baby back in? You are going to apply firm but gentle pressure to keep the baby's head from delivering too fast and tearing her. Too fast. Okay, all right, honey, I'm just gonna put a little pressure so the baby doesn't come out.
Okay, you're doing awesome. Now as the baby... Are they coming? They are coming right now, and I'm gonna give you a few more instructions, okay? So as the baby delivers, you're going to support the baby's head and shoulders. Hold its hips and legs firmly. Oh man. Okay, okay. You can do this. Now remember, the baby is going to be slippery, so don't drop it.
Okay, okay, your baby's coming. The baby's coming. Keep breathing, honey. Use them. Okay, you're gonna have to tell her to push hard to get the baby out. Okay, keep pushing, honey. Push, push, push, push, push. Go, go, go, go. I've got the baby. Keep going. Keep going. Okay, shoulders are out.
Okay, I've got the baby. The baby's out. Is the baby crying or breathing? Yeah, there's kind of a little bit of crying. Okay. You're okay. Yep, now go for the next one. Dry the baby off with a clean towel. So you're gonna dry the baby off with a clean towel, then...
Just reassure him help's on the way. Take your time if you need. I know it's painful. You're doing good. Baby's good. She's so pretty. You're doing a great job.
All right, I think I hear the paramedics at the front door. Should I go? Okay, great. Yes, go ahead and let them in. Come on in. They're here. They're inside. Okay, so if they're there with you, I'm gonna let you go. All right, thank you so much. Congratulations. Okay, thank you.
Right there, perfect. Awesome job. Just delivered a baby. Oh my God. That was way more intense than I thought it would be. I literally imagine, what if this was me? You still did a really good job. I've been doing this for nine years now, and I hope I get a call together. Oh, it's practice. Practice, and just reminding yourself that we're here to help those on their worst day. Yeah, and that's the best part, right? Thank you. You're a true human.
Since you finished your final challenge, we have something for you. We wanted to present you with an honorary South Metro Fire dispatch badge. Are you kidding? 100%, yep. Thanks for showing the world what it's like to be a dispatcher. And thank you for saving the world, literally. I love it. I wouldn't do anything else.
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