For Shinees Livingston, it’s all about saving lives.
After five years, Livingston says she’s attracted to her position as an OnStar Emergency Advisor because she can help save lives and impact customers every single day. In fact, it’s her favorite part of her job.
Livingston explains what drives her: “I have the skills and training necessary to help save someone’s life and I get to provide comfort in someone’s time of need.”
Answering the Call
This focus has inspired Livingston to earn Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) certifications from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). This enables her to bring a deep and varied skill set to her job. During a typical day, she might need to provide OnStar Members with support, such as instructions to keep someone’s health stable until First Responders arrive, gather pertinent information for public safety, and more.
Unexpectedly, the range of calls educated Livingston around a growing societal trend.
“The variety of call types we receive has heightened my awareness of mental illness,” she says. “It’s real and tragic, but I love knowing I can possibly make a difference.”
Livingston refers to her OnStar Emergency Advisor role as the “First, First Responder” because she often is the first person someone speaks to in an emergency and her actions can impact the outcome of an incident.
“As the First, First Responder, we will do everything in our power to help until the physical First Responders arrive on scene,” she explains.
Livingston excels in her role because she can “connect with callers on a human level to build trust,” she says. Her success is also derived from training and dedication to become certified in the EMD, EFD and EPD disciplines.
Ongoing Training
With certification in all three disciplines, Livingston carefully monitors training and quality assurance feedback from her calls to find areas for continuous improvement.
“I feel like the training and quality assurance has helped me tremendously because it’s how I learn best,” she says. “I learn more from my mistakes and feedback from quality.”
As a First, First Responder, Livingston recognizes her role as part of a larger team whose collective efforts can save lives during emergencies.
“When a Member calls us, I feel it’s imperative that we all work together, communicate as a team, and use all our resources collectively,” she says of her role in assisting public safety. “Without this teamwork, lives could be lost.”
For Shinees Livingston and the entire OnStar Emergency Advisor team, the job is all about saving lives.
