How would you handle a call from a panicked person who was speaking unintelligibly?

"For the majority of my career, I have worked in a cross-functional environment with a plethora of response teams and emergency professionals. It's a fantastic way to work because we can meet a goal or objective more efficiently while teaching each other new skills."

911 Dispatchers are often in communication with people who are having a very stressful time. This stress can cause people to panic and not think or speak clearly. Some examples could include the caller speaking a language you do not know, or a caller suddenly unable to remember important details such as their location. Walk the interviewer through the steps that you would take if you were on a call with someone speaking in a way that you could not understand.

"I recently had a caller who was speaking very quickly in another language that I could not decipher. After asking them a couple of questions in English, it was clear that they were upset and found it easier to speak in their native tongue while in duress. I asked, 'what language?' a straightforward question that was simple for the caller to answer. Once I was able to distinguish the language they were speaking, I was able to transfer to the call to a dispatcher who spoke their language. When a caller is panicked, it is entirely up to me to break down the barriers of communication and get them the assistance they need."