An Open Memo to Everyone Who Staff the Radios and Telephones…

By:  Robert Avsec

… for Our Emergency Communications Centers and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) across the USA and around the Mary Bowman ECC Chesterfieldglobe.  This is a “wee bit” lengthy, but I’d appreciate you “hearing me out.”

The editorial board for the publication, Annals of Emergency Dispatch & Response, the official research journal of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, has asked me to write a piece for their journal on “why research is important.”  Here’s the background:

Ours is the only peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated solely to the scientific, evidence-based study of emergency dispatching.  We publish research on police, medical, and fire dispatching, as well as telephone triage, tele-nursing, and communications center administration and management…

We have recently read several of the research papers you prepared for your Executive Fire Officer Program, as well as your recent blog post on being a “college boy” fire officer, and we have been very impressed both by your research and by your commitment to evidence-based practice in emergency communications and emergency services.  We would like to invite you to submit work to the Annals—in fact, we would be interested in publishing a perspectives piece as well as a research article.

One of the issues we have come up against (one I’m sure you’ll recognize) is a certain reticence toward reading and conducting research in the dispatch community.  We are working to build collaborations and alliances with dispatch agencies, to disseminate our research widely, and to bring dispatchers and administrators into the research community.  Articles that explain to emergency professionals the value of conducting and reading research—and the value of evidence-based practice generally—are helpful in this effort, and an article written by an experienced and respected leader in the field, such as yourself, would be invaluable.  So we would first and foremost like to invite you to submit a perspectives piece on the value of research to emergency services and emergency communications administration.

Emergency Call 911WOW!  I know, right, sounds like a pretty big deal.  I have a high level of respect—and a soft spot in my heart for the folks who staff our Emergency Comms Centers, especially following my 2+ year tour as the co-manager of our ECC in Chesterfield County, VA, back in the late 1990’s.  So I try to take advantage of every opportunity to market their value to the community, as much as I do Fire and EMS delivery.

Here’s your chance to contribute to the effort.  What are the problems or issues or challenges (whatever you want to call them) in your field that need improvements, improvements for which evidence-based research could provide the best solutions?

You don’t have to write anything elaborate; you’re as busy as I am (and I’m

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Let's keeping fighting to find a cure!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s keeping fighting to find a cure!

BUSY!).  I’ll be most obliged if you just give me a topic, and maybe an example of the issue as it affects your shop.  I invite you to respond in any of the following avenues:

  • Leave a comment on this post;
  • Post on my Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/FireEmsLeaderEbooks; or
  • Send me an e-mail at [email protected]

Thank you for your assistance!  Oh, can you send ‘em to me by November 6th?

(Deadlines, don’t you just hate ‘em?)

About Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer

Battalion Chief (Ret.) Robert Avsec served with the men and women of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and EMS Department for 26 years. He’s now using his acquired knowledge, skills, and experiences as a freelance writer for FireRescue1.com and as the “blogger in chief” for this blog. Chief Avsec makes his home in Cross Lanes, WV. Contact him via e-mail, [email protected].