The worst part of being a Triple 0 call-taker is not knowing what happens once you hang up.
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Illawarra call-taker Janelle Gaskin has been in the role for a decade and said while some calls could take a toll, there were also many rewards.
"You take about 80 calls a day, ranging from anything from a cut toe to people in cardiac arrest, or suicide attempts or drownings," she said.
"For a short period of time on the phone you put yourself at the scene - you place yourself in that's family on individual's situation - as you guide them through until paramedics get there.
"Then, as a general rule, once the phone call ends you don't hear anything, you don't know what the result was. That can be hard but I would say the rewards of helping people far outweigh any frustrations."
Calls can be routine, they can turn out to be hoaxes, and all too often callers can become abusive. Sometimes the calls are heart-breaking.
"I'll never forget one call - where a couple had rented a holiday house and their little girl fell in the pool and drowned," Ms Gaskin said.
"Sadly she passed away, and I couldn't stop thinking about her parents having to drive home with no child in the car."
During International Control Centre Week, the call-takers and dispatch team at NSW Ambulance's southern control centre are being recognised for their skill at dealing daily with traumatic and stressful situations.
The Barrack Heights facility is one of four control centres across NSW, which took a combined 1.2 million calls last year alone. On average there's a Triple 0 call every 26 seconds across the state.
"During the week we recognise the hard work of our unsung heroes - the ones behind the calls," southern control centre acting deputy director Rebecca Wood said.
"These are the people who receive and triage the calls in order of priority and provide callers with life-saving instructions prior to the ambulance arrival."
During the week we recognise the hard work of our unsung heroes - the ones behind the calls.
- Rebecca Wood, NSW Ambulance southern control centre
Times have changed since the call centre opened, back in the late 1990s. Someone who's been there from the very first shift is senior operations centre officer, Craig Packer.
The former nurse and then paramedic moved to the control room over 20 years ago.
"When I first started we had a conveyor belt - the call-taker would write down the details of each call, place them on the conveyor belt and the slip would travel down to the dispatch team," Mr Packer said.
"We now of course have a much more sophisticated computer-aided dispatch system, which can track each ambulance and work out to the second whose going to be the quickest and most appropriate response."
The number of calls has increased markedly over the years, with a rise in drug and alcohol and mental health issues a contributing factor. Training and support services have improved to assist staff.
What hasn't changed is the team's commitment and compassion, something applauded by paramedic, Inspector Norm Rees.
"We have a very close relationship with the control centre staff - we liaise regularly to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients," he said.