B.C. Ambulance Service is planning to recruit 10 emergency dispatchers for its Kamloops centre, one of three in the province.

The new dispatchers will replace staff leaving through attrition - retirement, promotions and transfers - said Corinne Begg, provincial dispatch training officer.

Emergency medical dispatchers receive in-bound calls and gather critical information from callers. They're not the first point of contact but the second one after 911. Nonetheless, they must serve as calm and reassuring voices in life and death situations. They need to provide vital information to paramedic crews, hospitals and other emergency clinics.

Training takes place on the job.

"It's the perfect job for somebody seeking a good challenge," Begg said. "As we say, there's never a dull moment."

The Kamloops dispatch operations centre employs a dozen dispatchers and receives an average of 500-600 calls a day, providing service to 98 communities.

Begg suggests that anyone interested in the opportunity should consult the B.C. Ambulance Service website, www.bcas.ca/EN/main/careers/dispatch-careers.html