“Fall with injury.  Elderly woman, middle of the street, bleeding from the head.”

The dispatcher spoke in even tones, as she was trained to do, but when I heard the last four words, my heart sank and my eyes welled up.

I didn’t follow up on the call; I know the paramedics got there quickly, and I prefer to think that they were able to help her.

It’s ironic.  Had I been the dispatcher, the same emotions that drive my compassion would have slowed the call response and threatened the elderly woman’s life.

Thank God I’m just a computer guy.