Any emergency call handlers out there?

[chazzy87]

Hiya, so I've come to the conclusion that I need a new job. I currently work full time in a supermarket, near enough minimum wage, the job is crap, but the friends I've made are the only thing that's keeping me there.
I've always worked in retail and like to think I'm pretty good, I was running stores before I had my children so I know I can do more than what I'm doing now.
I've seen a job going as an emergency call handler, something I would love to do (I think). I've seen it on the tele although I know that it's probably worlds different from how it actually is.
I just wanted some first hand advise on how it really is, and wether it's worth giving up my comfortable/easy job. Xxx

Which service? DH does it for the police but I believe they are all quite different.

Emergency call handlers have to rotate onto nights, would you be ok with that?

I assume it's for the ambulance service as it's based where our main a&e department is x

Yeh I think so, I've done a couple of night shifts where I work now, and I start most mornings at 4am so I'm used to lack of a sleep pattern lol x

You should go for it. Have a look at the job description and see what skills you currently have that could transfer to the new role. I bet there's quite a few.

Life's too short and all that. Good luck x

I used to do it with the Police. TBH, its not much different to working in a supermarket in terms of the type of behaviour you have to deal with. It might be different with ambulance, but with the Police it was mainly just a lot of people phoning up to moan and complain about things. Actual emergencies or what most people would consider to be something serious would be few and far between. One call per night perhaps.

You will be expected to do weekends and evenings/nights because that is typically the busiest time. Working nights is physically and mentally exhausting. The pay is good because of the shifts. Getting annual leave at popular times (Christmas and school holidays) is impossible.

That's what I'm thinking, I want something more rewarding! And also having something more interesting to say when people ask me what I do or ask the kids what does your mum do lol.
I'm just worried I won't be able to handle it I suppose and then end up jobless....or mentally scared and jobless 😅

Yeh I can imagine that there's a lot of calls that are not what most would call emergencies 🙄
It's said about weekends, which I'm used to. I'm also used to having absolutely zero time off over Xmas, bank holidays etc 🙄.
It's said it's 12hr shifts rotating. So I'd imagine it's a few days/nights on n then a few off. X

@chazzy87

You could give it a go, if you find you really don't like it I'm sure you could get another job in retail?

I used to do it for the ambulance service and answered both 111/999 calls. It was very intense and a lot of pressure although calls are audited regularly to make sure you’re actioning calls correctly. Training was intense too- about a month of classroom based stuff then about a fortnight of shadowing and test calls to make sure you’re doing things right. It was good money and excellent job security but I ultimately hated it. A lot of the calls were heartbreaking and it’s really tough talking a distressed person though cpr for example or telling people you don’t have ambulances to send/appointments to give when they are very upset and poorly. It really took a toll and I couldn’t hack it but that’s just me. I’ve known people that have been there for years though and really enjoy the work. It’s very fast paced and shift work can wreck your sleeping pattern a bit but no harm in giving it a go! Despite not sticking it out I’m very glad I gave it a go for a year and if you didn’t like it you could always go back to retail

I was a road side assistance call taker for a few years.
It could be as calm as a nice person has locked themselves out of their car,
to someone screaming at me because they had been waiting for two hours to get through, they were broke down on a major thoughfare, facing another 2 hour wait for help, and I was the proverbial messenger about to be shot.

It can be hard on the self when you can not help someone in a way that matters in the moment.

Ambulance service person here but not an EMA.

I would say it’s the toughest job in the service and people either love it or hate it. Pay is relatively low (NHS band 3), it can be very pressured and there is not much autonomy. A lot of calls are mundane but abusive or heartbreaking calls are all part of the job. Staff turnover is high - often around 50% a year. But if you love it there will be as much work as you want and opportunities to progress.

I have the utmost admiration for our EMAs.

Thankyou for everyone's responses, been very helpful. I'm gonna go for it and apply today, what's the worse that can happen 🤷‍♀️😅.

I don’t know if it’s the same in the ambulance service but in the Police it’s often a “way in”.

as pp have said turnover tends to be high, so there’s near constant recruitment. Once you’re in the organisation though I found the support from SLT for development, promotion, and even sideways moves was great.

i started as a call handler. Lots of colleagues that started with me went on to officer training, staff intelligence roles, helicopter dispatch/navigation, management, forensics- either traditional or digital forensics is a massive field now.

Have you watched the bbc documentary ambulance ? they focus on the handlers quite a lot