Saving lives and making a difference - 20+ years as a 999 call handler

As a police emergency call handler for the last two decades, Michael Prince has been a consistent and calming voice at the phone for members of the public in times of crisis.

From people involved in serious road traffic collisions to those threatening self-harm, Michael and his highly trained colleagues in Nottinghamshire Police’s Control Room are ready to help 24/7.

During International Control Room Week, he explained a little more about his work, his experiences, and what it means to be an effective emergency call handler.

“Fundamentally it’s about making a positive difference to people’s lives”, he explained. “It’s one of the phrases that’s used quite a lot in the police and it’s certainly true in the control room.

“People have a lot of ideas about the police and what we do but I think they sometimes forget – or they don’t know – that there are all these people behind the scenes.

“It’s not something that makes the TV very often, but all police responses start in the control room.”

Indeed, it may be the officers on the ground who are the ones physically responding and helping people in need, but it is the call handlers and dispatchers who are processing that information and getting people to where they need to go.

On a typical day the control room takes in hundreds of 999 calls from members of the public – some of them in acute distress.

In all cases a call handler’s response will be similar – to establish where somebody is, what’s happening and to establish a means of contact.

“It may be the only time in that person’s life when they have dialled 999,” added Michael. “They may be distressed. They may have just witnessed something terrible, and they may not be thinking clearly as a result.

“But regardless of what is happening at the time we need to tease those things out of people as quickly as possible so we can get them the help they need as quickly and as accurately as possible.”

Done right, this approach can and does save lives – something Michael knows all too well.

“I’ve taken a lot of calls over the years but one that really sticks in my mind is a person who’s tried to take their own life.

“I knew they needed help as quickly as possible and that I had to keep them talking on the phone long enough for help to arrive.

“Eventually our officers found them just in time with a ligature around their neck and were able to cut them down and save their life.

“To go home and know you have helped to save someone’s life is a great feeling and the kind of result that keeps me motivated to do this job.”

Not all calls, however, end as well.

Michael, for example, remains troubled by a similar call from a suicidal man in Nottingham city centre who he was unable to help.

He and his colleagues are also routinely thrust into deeply upsetting incidents where people have come to serious harm.

As the initial voice of the police, it is they who are tasked with speaking to people in the worst moments of their lives.

“That can be upsetting for people and there are things you can take home with you, but the training we receive to deal with these situations effectively really is outstanding – as is the support we get from our colleagues and managers.

“Ultimately people expect a professional service from us when they dial 999, and it’s delivering that kind of service that motivates me and my colleagues to come to work in the service of the public.”