Using the right words can save lives! Dr. Heidi KevoeFeldman, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern, uses conversation analysis to examine interactions in 911 emergency dispatch centers. In her talk, she makes it clear to the audience that minimal variations in word choice and sentence structure will affect the outcome of a conversation tremendously. She guides the audience through a series of original 911 calls and showcases how dispatchers delicately deescalate some of the most dangerous situations. What can you learn from this? Continuously using language can influence the outcomes of conversations with children, colleagues, or call center agents to one's benefit. Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern, Dr. Heidi KevoeFeldman (Ph.D. Rutgers University) uses conversation analysis to examine interactions in organizational settings such as 911 emergency dispatch centers. Recent projects include studies of how callers overcome institutional barriers when seeking help, how dispatchers handle hysterical callers, and techniques negotiators and dispatchers use to talk suicidal callers down.

She is also an advanced Emergency Medical Dispatcher and continues to shadow dispatchers as part of her research program. She dedicates her success to her husband, Brad, daughter Annabelle, and family for supporting her love of learning. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx