Behind the scenes with Ottawa's first first-responders

To get a taste of what paramedic dispatchers and call-takers do, I was given the chance to answer a simulated call at the Ottawa Paramedic Service. When asked what scenario I wanted to try, I opted for “woman giving birth.” 
Struggling to navigate three computers and the hysterical screams of the pregnant woman (a communications training officer) on the line, I began sweating, stuttering and losing the ability to type properly. The baby was “successfully delivered”.