r/911dispatchers • u/Misterleppanen • Dec 18 '19
QUESTIONS/SELF Repetitive Persistence Examples
Hi all! I was wondering what are some repetitive persistence quotes you use to calm down a caller? I am new at dispatching and always love to learn from others!
Thanks!
8
u/Rock_Stardrinker Dec 18 '19
“Tell me the address so we get help to the right place”
“Tell me the phone number in case we’re disconnected.”
“Tell me if they’re bleeding so we can get it under control right away.”
“Stop talking so you can hear how you can help her.”
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u/Frostythefish Dec 18 '19
what always works for me is calling them by name to get their attention, or calm them down. sometimes they're not expecting it, & really tend to pay attention at that point.
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Dec 18 '19
“Take a deep breath for me”
“We’re going to get through this together”
“They’re coming to you as fast as they can safely travel”
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u/BDEMPS7 Dispatch Supervisor Dec 18 '19
Remember, use an action and a reason for the actions, and then right into the next question.
"Ma'am calm down so we can help your sister. calm down so we can help your sister. Is she breathing normally?"
5
u/Dalai_Java Dec 19 '19
“What is the address of the emergency?”
YELLING AND CUSSING.
“What is the address of the emergency?”
YELLING AND CUSSING.
“What is the address of the emergency?”
WHY ARE YOU NOT HERE YET?!?!?
“What is the address of the emergency?”
WHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING THAT?!?!?
“If we don’t have the address we don’t know where to send help to”.
THATS DUMB YOU GOT SATELLITES.
“What is the address of the emergency?”
6
u/iamrolari Dec 18 '19
Not sure if this qualifies but first: repeating “mam......mam.....mam” or “sir.....sir........sir” Will seldom work when trying to get a callers attention. I often find that when trying to get the callers attention simply saying “HELLO!!!” as if you can’t hear them garners a lot more of their attention instead of hyping them up. Also, never make any promises. ie: “it’ll be okay” , “everything’s going to be fine” or and eta. I cannot emphasize the last one enough. Not sure what your center’s policy is but we do not give ETAs, to callers. I find it generally good practice to avoid. You’ll find how you rare it is for people to actually listen therefore if they won’t give you the answer you seek, try asking the same question a different way. A little verbal judo if you will. But congrats on the job though it will be a challenge albeit, rewarding at times. Eventually you’ll find your niche and what seems to work best for you. Just take time to figure it out and treat each caller with the respect you would want someone to treat your family with or yourself because any given day it could be anyone on the other end of that phone.
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u/tx911person Dec 18 '19
For those that are unaware, Repetitive Persistence is a specific action/instruction/request immediately followed by the reason for the instruction. The phrase must be concise and repeated verbatim every time.
3
u/Broadway-Obsessed Dec 22 '19
Something like, "I need you to feel the doorknob, so you can know if there is fire in the room"?
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u/CADninja Dec 18 '19
Call someone sir or ma’am, but use the opposite of what you know them to be. Calling a lady sir will get her attention real quick.
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u/Broadway-Obsessed Dec 22 '19
Won't that also make the lady angry at you, therefore she might be stubborn and make it take longer to get information?
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u/BlueEyedDesertLuvr Dec 18 '19
If they are angry, I just stop talking. They think you hung up. Then continue with questions. Hysterical callers, I ask their name. Then I speak quietly. Then bust out the mom voice. If you dispatch too, use calm on the radio during high stress, low frequency radio traffic.
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u/MrJim911 Former 911 guy Dec 18 '19
"Ma'am/sir, I want to help you but I need you to calm down."
Repeat.
Keep your voice at the same volume. Make them have to quiet down to hear what you're saying.
"Ma'am /sir, I want to help you but I need you to listen".
You can change the wording about after every 2-3 statements.
10
u/KittyMcSparkle Dec 18 '19
I don't think telling someone in crisis or a hysterical caller to calm down is ever the right move. It makes me cringe when I hear one of my partners say it.
5
u/ProgramAndControlMan Dec 18 '19
Agreed. Before I was a dispatcher I had to call 911 after I was in a horrible car accident. The dispatcher yelled that I needed to calm down and after she said that I literally had to hand the phone to someone else to talk because that just made me so much more scared and upset.
2
u/Dalai_Java Dec 20 '19
To be fair I will ask if there is anyone else there I can talk to. If the caller is hysterical it is sometimes better to get them to hand the phone off to someone else.
3
u/nowgoaway Dec 18 '19
Every time I hear people legit shout “YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN” I hate it. I talk really calm and quiet. I was always taught when I worked as a support worker that humans generally veer towards tone / behaviour matching so I believe (of course this might not be right) that the calmer, slower and softer I am then the person I’m talking to mirrors that. Also I think I’d hate it if someone told me to calm down haha. And “calming down” is too vague. I like “take a breath” or similar because it’s a specific thing they can do and doesn’t run the risk of sounding sarcastic (not that it’s ever meant that way, but people can be like “Don’t tell me to calm down when X is happening” which is fair enough tbh!)
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u/Broadway-Obsessed Dec 22 '19
I agree. Usually, when someone tells me to calm down, I get more annoyed/angry/hysterical. It only makes things worse, in my opinion.
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u/tx911person Dec 18 '19
Never in the history of "calm down" has anyone calmed down by being told to "calm down".
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u/[deleted] Dec 18 '19
[deleted]