The holidays are the busiest time of year for everyone, more so for those in the Emergency Service sector. With an increase in accidents and burglaries among other things, there is an influx of people calling 9-1-1 for assistance.

Everyone is in a scurry to finish up their shopping and enjoy the celebrations, but few prepare for holiday safety.

Unlike the rest of us, 9-1-1 operators don’t necessarily get to call Christmas or New Years a holiday. Amidst it all, 9-1-1 operators are busy playing the role of the calm, assuring and comforting voice to civilians in despair.

Holiday safety mishaps happen more often than one would think. Everything from falling off a ladder while hanging Christmas lights, decoration and cooking fires, bad road conditions, family arguments, to burglaries and shoplifters; and an increase in depression (suicidal) calls all trigger a phone call to 9-1-1 operators.

When bad weather conditions pose safety risks and logistic challenges, 9-1-1 operators must locate and dispatch the nearest emergency services, which can negatively affect the outcome for those in need when every second counts.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CSPC), an estimated 15,000 people end up in the emergency room as a result of decoration injuries alone, and there is a 20% increase in car collisions during the month of December. This season, plan ahead with our holiday safety and security tips and know when to call 9-1-1 and when to go to the emergency room or a physician’s office.

• Take your time on the roads;
• Keep an emergency kit in your trunk;
• Make sure your ladder is on a level surface;
• Turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving the house or going to bed;
• Don’t leave your Christmas shopping in your car;
• Get your prescriptions filled and;
• Have a list of whom to contact if your regular healthcare providers are unavailable.

On the other end of the telephone, somewhere at a dispatch console, 9-1-1 operators are there to take your call, to serve their communities as they work to save lives.

Evans is a proud partner of 9-1-1 dispatch centers and all of the work they do behind the scenes to support civilians.

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