Dr. Phil will make correction about Vermont’s 911 system

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(Host) Vermont officials say they’re pleased that the nationally syndicated Dr. Phil TV show will make an on air correction next week concerning erroneous comments made earlier this month about Vermont’s 911 system.

The incident has highlighted the issue of the training that’s needed to become a 911 call taker in the state.

VPRs Bob Kinzel reports:

(Kinzel)The controversy started when Dr. Phil aired a program on December 12th called "the 911 Nightmare."

Part of the program focused on mistakes made by 911 call takers and it said that the situation was made worse by the fact that several states, including Vermont, don’t require any training for their 911 operators.

That got the phone ringing off the hook at the State’s 911 Board office.

Executive director David Serra immediately contacted the Dr. Phil show to set them straight about Vermont’s extensive training program for 911 call takers:

(Serra)"There’s the issue of people in Vermont including visitors to Vermont feeling safe when they come to our state and when they live in our state 911 is the very first line of emergency response it is ubiquitous across the nation people have learned to expect good 911 service and the thought of anyone breathing Vermont air whether you live here or you’re passing through feeling like they weren’t adequately covered that was the first concern."

Serra says the state has 26 operators standing by, 24 hours a day, at 8 different call centers throughout Vermont. Each person has received between 3 and 6 months of training.

They’re prepared to deal with a crime in progress, a medical emergency or the reporting of a fire:

(Serra)"In fact they have three binders in front of them covering each one of those areas that are all tabbed that they can flip to and give pre-arrival instructions we’ve had call takers coach people through CPR on the line, or child birth or any other type of emergency where folks would be waiting for medical personnel to arrive and they need help in the meantime."

Serra says the 911 call takers need to be able to deal with a crisis situation with a calm but decisive manner:

(Serra)"I think it takes a special type of person we can usually tell in training whether a person would be good at that or not chances are they haven’t signed up unless they felt like they could do the job."

The Dr. Phil program is scheduled to broadcast its on air correction about Vermont’s 911 system next Tuesday.

For VPR News I’m Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles 

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