911 operators save lives behind the scenes

Photo By Sgt. Juan D. Alfonso | Emergency service dispatchers with Camp Foster's 911 Communications Center answer all emergency calls from Marine Corps installations on Okinawa.  

10.17.2006

Story by Cpl. Juan D. Alfonso 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

Lance Cpl. Juan D. Alfonso
III Marine Expeditionary Force PAO

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Red lights flicker on and off as sirens blare, but it's not an ambulance, it's a 911 operator's computer.

Emergency service dispatchers with Camp Foster's 911 Communications Center work around the clock fielding all emergency calls from inside and around Marine Corps installations on Okinawa, Torii Station and White Beach, according to 2nd Lt. Bessie L. Bernstein, the officer-in-charge for Military Police District Central and the 911 Communications Center.

Manned by a crew of four Japanese translators and one Marine, the center answers more than 3,000 emergency calls per year, said Yoshinobu Matsudo, an emergency service dispatcher at the center and former security guard.

When someone dials 911, emergency service dispatchers are the ones who assess the situation, calm the victim and inform the nearest emergency service agencies, such as the emergency room, fire department or Japanese Coast Guard that someone is in need of assistance.

"This job is a huge responsibility," Bernstein said. "If the right questions aren't asked, lives could be lost."

Military police take shifts working alongside Japanese translators, often sacrificing personal time to ensure help is available, according to Lance Cpl. James R. Carver, with the 911 Communications center.

Carver said the hardest call to receive is when there is a victim of an assault. They are often frantic and badly hurt, making it difficult to communicate.

"We're the first responders," he said. "When we pick up that phone, we have to react quickly and calm the victim. We have to stay calm and not let our emotions get the better of us."

The center is an integral part to how the military police function, according to Carver. Without it, a victim would have to call each emergency service separately.

"It would be a hectic, chaotic mess," he said. "It would be almost impossible for everyone to communicate on their own. Most people don't even know the numbers for all these places."

Working alongside the Marines, Foster's Japanese emergency service dispatchers are always there to assist with dispatching Japanese police and translating emergency calls.

"My Japanese employees work hard to save lives," Bernstein said. "I only have four translators working 12-hour shifts all week long."
Bernstein said even though they aren't the ones driving to save lives, they do their part behind the scenes.

• Date Taken: 10.17.2006
• Date Posted: 10.24.2006 08:39
• Story ID: 8116