Anastasia went to bed one Friday night in May 2020. Hours later, her seven-year-old son Archer walked into the room and found his mum unconscious.

Have you ever wondered what it takes and what it’s like to be a triple zero call-taker? In this episode, you’ll hear from three call-takers about how they got to be in the role and what it’s like, as well as some of the real-life calls they’ve answered.

While it may seem obvious that the triple zero line is for emergencies only, call-takers do receive nuisance and hoax calls that can take them away from genuine emergencies. From false reports to people calling to know who won the footy, what might seem like just another call wastes triple zero and emergency services resources.

From the challenging calls that stick with them to some of the more unusual ones, two fire call-takers share their experiences and memories.

It was a typical Monday morning. Kelly got up to make her kids breakfast and went to get ready for the day. Only moments later, her husband Bruce found her in the bathroom, needing emergency help.

Imagine you are hiking in the Grampians National Park, when suddenly you have chest pain and difficulty breathing. You call triple zero and the call-taker asks you “where do you need the ambulance?” When every second counts, would you know how to quickly and accurately tell the call-taker exactly where you are? Hear about the different techniques and tools that could help save a life.

On a winter’s afternoon, eight-year-old Evelyn was at home with her mum, Lauren, and two younger siblings when Lauren suspected she was having an allergic reaction. Lauren got the children into the car to drop them off at their grandfather’s house, so she could go to the nearest hospital. They were almost there when the situation worsened rapidly.

On the 7 February 2009, what became known as the Black Saturday fires began. Over the following week, the state was ravaged by one of the worst fires in its history. ESTA’s fire operators recall their experiences on Black Saturday and in the days that followed.

It was just after 11pm when nine-year-old Kate couldn’t get to sleep. She decided to watch TV but found her mum, Natalie, unconscious on the lounge room floor.

It was an early winter’s morning when Sarah woke to her 35 year-old husband Steve making a strange sound. When she turned on the light, she saw her husband’s face. In that moment, she knew something wasn’t right and dialled triple zero.