Connie Fraser

Trials of the first, “First Responder”

In this short talk, Fraser will explore the crazy land on the other side of the radio. Science has proven that your dispatcher doesn’t have to be ‘on scene’ to be traumatized. Dispatchers struggle to push past their own triggers in order to get the job done. They are just as frustrated when the caller doesn’t provide details fast enough (or lies); when cell phone technology fails to confirm their location or when they know that they will not be able to unhear the horrors on the other side of the phone while they wait (not so patiently) for responders to arrive. By the end of the talk, you may be surprised to know that dispatchers and responders have more in common than we think. 

Bio:

Connie Fraser has been a 911 dispatcher since 1998 and began her career in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS). Shortly after being hired, Connie’s role there quickly evolved to also include secondary 911 Service to call evaluate and dispatch ground EMS and Fire crews. Over the next couple of years, Connie became full-time with Calgary Police Dispatch. In 2006, Calgary Police Dispatch transitioned their dispatchers to Calgary 911, creating a tri-service centre providing dispatch service to most of southern Alberta.

In her role, Connie has worked as a call evaluator, dispatcher, supervisor and trainer. Most recently, Connie developed an innovative course to build 911 dispatcher resilience through mental preparedness. Connie is a certified hypnosis instructor and hypnotherapist and has presented at numerous conferences including the Calgary Legacy of Excellence conference, International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), Association of Professional Communications Officers (APCO Canada and APCO International), National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) and the Calgary Hypnosis Society (HSA).