The sequence of events that led to Taylor Davis’s profession as a communications officer began at St. Augustine High School when she and other friends from the swim team tried out to be Ocean Rescue Lifeguards. “This led to EMT school,” she says, “which led to Paramedic school, which led to the Fire Academy and finally St. Johns County Fire Rescue. I began as a firefighter with the county and came to dispatch when I was put on light duty while pregnant with my daughter. While there, I discovered I really enjoyed the work in the communications center. I was completely blown away by what was happening behind-the-scenes.”
Training and teamwork are two crucial aspects of her position. “The training for this position is a lot like firefighter training, it comes down to the basics,” says Taylor. “Repetition, repetition, repetition. In the field, we train MAYDAY calls frequently so that when they actually happen, we know exactly what to do. This same training helps on phone calls. We know we need an address, a situation, and a callback phone number in case the line disconnects prematurely. Even during the excitement and confusion of those high-stress calls, we fall back to the basics of where is this person, what do they need, and how do I contact them again if I need to? Once we get the appropriate units going in the right direction, then we know we have helped to our highest capacity.”
Teamwork in the center is critical. “Ascertaining information from a 911 call can be surprisingly difficult,” says Taylor. “We are continually communicating amongst ourselves to get all the elements together. If the call taker thinks we need a helicopter for a critical call, then we start working like a machine. The nonemergency call-taker gets the helicopter dispatch on the phone while the radio operator finds the nearest landing zone to the call, all while the 911 call is still evolving. Our goal is the most appropriate and quickest response for whoever needs help.”
No two days are ever the same behind the scenes of an emergency call center. “The call volume varies widely depending on the circumstances,” she says. “Is it raining outside? Is there fog? And yes, the moon can be a factor. I think the most intriguing part of the job is the lack of typical days.”
At the end of the day, Taylor is genuinely happy to be here for her community. “The rewards for me, as cliché as it sounds,” she says, “is to assist my community. I was born in Flagler Hospital, and St. Johns County and the city of St. Augustine have been my home from day one. I’ve answered phone calls for my fellow locals that have genuinely helped them or their family. Whatever the emergency, it feels good knowing I was a vital link in the chain for their help.”
Learn more about the St. Johns County Fire Rescue by visiting www.sjcfl.us/FireRescue. Photography by Richard Dole.
