Stress factors affecting operators of emergency call 112 and their prevention at chosen workplaces

This thesis is dealing with the issues of stress and stress factors found at the 112 emergency call operators. Citizens call the emergency number 112 in case of notification of an extraordinary situation. However, in some cases the emergency call is being misused. The call is then marked as spiteful. The ECC runs in a 24-hour shift operation and the operators change after a 12-hour shift. Each new operator is accepted in the service based on his knowledge, physical, health and above all psychological examination. He is obliged to attend the entrance training and courses in lenght of overall nine weeks. There he gets to know the issues of FRS CR, operational management and he has to pass a language course as well. It is very psychologically demanding for every operator to receive emergency calls. The operator needs to be able to listen, empathize and react adequatly. He deals with calls concerning accidents, injuries, foreigners and spiteful calls. An operator should recognize its gravity and devote to its resolution. However, he has his own personal life along with its joys and problems. It is vital that he is able to separate issues of his work and those of personal nature. This and many other indicators may cause stress reactions to the operator. Many psychologists have attempted to define stress. Each has, however, a different opinion and it is complicated to reach a an accurate definition. One thing is for sure - and that is stress shows itself in different ways and everyone is affected by it differently. In case of an emergency call operator, the stress factors are mainly time to execute the call, character of the notification, as well as the working group, personal life and emotional challenge. Multiple questions have been formulated for this thesis. Both current and former emergency call operators in Ceske Budejovice have been asked these question, which were then processed. The questions were divided into five fields concerning the interviewees' characteristics, collective and family, prevention a one last field was designated for the former operators. The interviews were anonymous, recorded and summarized. Two objectives were defined for this thesis: an analysis of the stressful situations of the emergency call operators and also of the impulses causing the formation of the stress factors, aw well as drafting a solution to stressful situations, possibility of the psycho-training, motivation and relaxation. The answer to the research question 'Which stress factors restrict the operators while performing service and how do they come into being' was determined from the carried-out interviews. There are situations which can make the operators insecure, such as a suicidal call, or when the call is unintelligible, or in case the incident cannot be correctly and quickly localized. Another problem can be the spiteful calls, in which case the telephone just rings and the caller hangs up right away. Another answer has also been extracted from the respondents: 'Which possibilities to handle stress do the operators have, which way to get rid of stress is satisfactory for them'. In the area of FRS of the South Bohemian Region there is a sports ground for every member to use. They would gladly welcome an opportunity to visit the firefighters's intervention in person. They are interested in psychology education, working with a suicidal call and periodic language courses. There are some proposals and ways to prevent stress of the 112 emergency call operators stated in the conclusion of the thesis. The system of training, possibilities to exchange workplaces, periodic language courses and interviews with the regional psychologist of the FRS of the South Bohemian Region. There are relaxation methods introduced, which would enable the operators to reduce stress and thus prevent illnesses, psychic exhaustion and eventually even a burnout. The results of this thesis can be used for all 112 EECs in the Czech republic