911 Emergency: How first responders show up to help in minutes

In the event of an emergency, panic strikes, you dial 911 and first responders show up to the scene in a matter of minutes.

The swift response starts with emergency dispatchers working morning, noon and night to keep the public safe.

As soon as they pick up the phone, dispatchers have a set amount of questions they need to ask in a short amount of time, starting with your emergency and location, which doesn’t automatically populate when you call from a cellphone.

“It’s not just another job,” said a 911 dispatch manager. “You can’t come in here, and it’s just a job. No. You really have to love what you do.”

Call takers said the more calmly you can answer, the faster they can get you help.

They said they want the public to know what to do when they accidentally dial 911.

“Just stay on the line and let us know,” said the manager. “There’s a number of times we need to call back, while, all this time we have calls pending.”

Dispatchers said they sometimes take traumatic calls, but receive extensive training before working on the floor.

“Every dispatcher, and every call-taker, we love what we do. We do our best to keep our units safe, to keep our public safe and provide them the best service we can.”