Sleep Deprivation On 911 Telecommunication Dispatchers

In the current world, the culture of operating on little sleep seems to be regarded highly. Nowhere is this phenomenon more profound than for 911 telecommunication dispatchers. These employees, who consider sleep deprivation not as unique to their schedule, constantly have to respond to callers and coordinate services to emergency situations involving fires, health situations, burglary cases, car chases, and other situations needing emergency help. However, the effects of sleep deprivation on these workers can be monumental, given that sleep is critical for the normal functioning of the human body. Against this grounding, this article describes the effects of sleep deprivation on 911 telecommunication dispatchers and cites some of the incidents where deprivation caused wrong services to be dispatched, highlights how lack of rest can affect the mood and health of the person and put the lives of the citizens at risk. In addition, illustrates how sleep deprivation jeopardizes the employ ee, company, and the county the 911 agency represents with regards to law and accountability. There are various examples of incidences where sleep deprivation has made 911 dispatchers issue wrong services and consequentially cause injuries or death to people needing the services. In one of the recent cases which happened in 2012, a 911 dispatcher in Maryland failed to order an ambulance despite the efforts of a woman who called to report her husband’s troubled breathing (Clarke). While the