Emergency Communications Officer Whitney Bedwell was awarded the Life Saver pin by The New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority, NRV911, last week, recognizing her instrumental work responding to a cardiac arrest call at the New River Valley Mall on Dec. 26, 2018.
Using the county’s Emergency Medical Dispatch, or EMD, protocol, Bedwell gave lifesaving CPR instructions to the victim’s wife and gathering information until police and the EMS crews could take over.
“This training helps us help callers in their time of need, giving care and information at the moment of the 911 call,” Amber Stump, NRV 911 Communication Training Officer said in an announcement.
As part of the mission of NRV 911, Bedwell had completed the county’s EMD instruction through Pro QA and the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
The EMD program was launched in May of last year, by September, NRV 911 answered 7624 rescue calls supporting Shawsville, Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Longshop-McCoy and Riner, and 2073 for fire.
These important first moments are critical to the patient, but also to other dispatchers who sent police and ambulance.
“ When we are dispatched, NRV 911 is able to give us a lot of detail on the type and severity of the emergency,” David English, chief of Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad said. “This allows us to ensure we are sending the right resources to meet the needs of that patient while keeping resources and personnel that aren’t needed available for the next call.”
The announcement said that” Emergency Communications Officers are truly First Responders.”
The patient walked out of the hospital a few days later.
For more information about NRV 911, visit www.nrv911.org/operations/call-stats/