COTTONWOOD, Ariz.—Kelsey Jacobs answers each call not knowing who will be on the line or what crisis awaits.
It could be someone having a heart attack, a suicidal person, a vehicle rollover, a drug overdose, or just an accidental call.
A 911 dispatcher at the Regional Communication Center in Cottonwood, Arizona, Jacobs, 31, says the job is naturally stressful and for dispatchers who struggle to cope, burnout is “a huge factor.”
“What keeps me here is the job and being able to help people and make a difference,” Jacobs told The Epoch Times.
Other dispatchers and experts agree that burnout is a major challenge for 911 call handlers. This echoes the findings of a recent nationwide survey by the National Emergency Number Association, a nonprofit focused on 911 operations, and emergency communication provider Carbyne….