Behind the screen: the job of a telecommunicator

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Amanda Brown. (Image Credit: Submitted/ Lyle Karasiuk)

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Reflecting back on the personal highlights of her career, Brown mentioned walking someone through CPR and later hearing they recovered, or something as small as a thank you from someone she’s helped through a tough situation. She acknowledged her job is challenging and emotionally demanding.

“You’re often dealing with people in distress. high pressure situations, sometimes tragic outcomes and  we just always need to stay calm, focused and professional to help our callers.”

When asked what advice she would perhaps offers someone who is considering applying, Brown said ideal candidates are capable of handling stress and able to think and work well under pressure.

“It’s a very difficult job that can be chaotic at times but it can also feel vey rewarding,” she said, adding she feels fortunate to work with a supportive team.

Medical Communications Center North services a wide area that includes the communities of La Ronge, Nipawin, Melfort and Blaine Lake. Lyle Karasiuk, Director of Support Services and Media Relations with Parkland Ambulance, said they provide a vital service.

“Those communications specialists are essential to getting the medical communications team organized so that the paramedic teams, first responders and other services they coordinate are all managed effectively and cohesively,” he said.

Karasiuk recalled when he started with Parkland Ambulance nearly 40 years ago, they used their phones and radios for ambulance calls for the City of Prince Albert.

“The phone would ring and you would pop up, run to the phone, take the information, run to an ambulance and drive to the call,” he said.

During day shift, front office staff would help look after phones and radios and, of course, technology wasn’t what it is today.

“It was a pad of paper, it was a telephone and it was a two-way radio that connected us in Prince Albert to the ambulance crews to get the dispatching information,” Karasiuk explained, adding the professional team today has access to advanced tele-communications technology.

“I honestly couldn’t sit in front of their computers and do what they do,” he said.

In Saskatchewan, trained professional 9-1-1 staff work from centres in Regina, Saskatoon and near Prince Albert. These telecommunicators answered more than 555,000 calls in 2025.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) provides dispatching and monitoring services across the province. They work closely with volunteer and professional first responders, as well as provincial and municipal partners, to support safety, protection and emergency response.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators week is observed annually during the second full week of April. 

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell