SPANISH FORK — Janine Gingras, an emergency dispatcher with the Utah Valley Dispatch Special Service District, was recently recognized by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch for the way she handled a call involving the rollover of a all-terrain vehicle in Spanish Fork Canyon.
Gingras was awarded the Call of the Week, which highlights dispatchers from around the world who correctly follow protocol and provide exemplary customer service to those in dire circumstances.
According to a statement from the dispatch organization, Gingras took the call at 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 29. The caller reported that a 7-year-old child had been seriously injured in the accident and was suffering chest pain and a bloody mouth. The victim was also having difficulty breathing.
“This was an emotional call with praying in the background and the child moaning in pain, with gurgling at times being heard,” said Brenda Argyle, the dispatch district’s quality improvement coordinator, who nominated Gingras for the award. “Not only was the location in a remote area up Spanish Fork Canyon, but there (were) no coordinates to easily find the incident.”
Recognizing it would be difficult to determine the victim’s location, Gingras asked whether the patient would be accessible by vehicle, helping determine the correct response near the outset of the call. She also used commonly known landmarks to help the caller identify the area. At one point, she instructed the caller to have someone else on scene dial 911 to get a GPS coordinate, which provided a more specific location.
Gingras also ensured early in the call that the caller had sufficient cellphone battery life, knowing a disconnected call would severely hinder responders’ abilities to find the victim.
Argyle said Gingras’ quick thinking helped give the 7-year-old the needed care while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Gingras remained on the line for nearly 47 minutes with the anxious caller until helicopters arrived.