Episode Summary
The most dangerous trip you might ever take isn’t up a ladder or across an icy sidewalk; it’s the ten steps from your bed to the bathroom at 2 a.m. In this episode of The Aging Well Firefighter, Roy Smalley talks with Pam Tinsley, a U.S. Marine veteran, 20-year EMS provider, Advanced EMT, and overnight 911 dispatcher. Pam shares her unique perspective from both sides of the emergency call: listening to the panic in a caller’s voice and responding in person to cramped, unforgiving bathroom fall scenes.
Together, Roy and Pam explore why the bathroom can quickly become the most dangerous room in the house, the everyday reality of life as a dispatcher, and practical lessons that can prevent your next midnight trip from ending in tragedy.
Key Topics Covered
Why the bathroom at night is one of the most common and dangerous locations for falls
The unique perspective of working both as a 911 dispatcher and an AEMT
The tough realities of dispatch work: constant distractions, pressure, noise, and human emotion
Small, practical changes to prevent falls, from nightlights to pocket doors
The humanity at the heart of emergency services dispatch: “It’s never my emergency. It’s always theirs.”
Memorable Quotes
Pam Tinsley: “It's never my emergency. It's always theirs. I'm just there to help.”
Pam Tinsley: “Bathrooms are always kind of terrible because bathrooms are always the smallest room in the house. It's very crowded… bathrooms are almost an afterthought.”
Pam Tinsley: “Just turn a light on or have a nightlight… don't just trust yourself to feel your way into a dark room from a dark room.”
Roy Smalley: “Dispatchers are the invisible lifeline of emergency services. They hear the first cry for help. They steady those frightened voices, and they can translate chaos into precise action.”
Call to Action
💡 Tonight, take one small step for your own safety: light your pathway, clear clutter, and think about how your space is designed. And the next time you hear that calm voice on the other end of 911, remember the unseen pressure our dispatchers work under… and the humanity they bring to every call.
Connect with Roy Smalley
Instagram: @roysmalley.us
Facebook: @roysmalley.us
LinkedIn: roysmalley
All my links: www.roysmalley.us
Subscribe & Follow
If this episode made you rethink fall prevention and gave you a new respect for our first voice on every 911 call, subscribe to The Aging Well Firefighter wherever you listen to podcasts. And don’t miss the next episode in our Gravity Never Sleeps series, where we’ll uncover why falls often strike at certain times of day, and how factors like community, support, and even loneliness can turn a stumble into a spiral.
👉 Subscribe today: Fight Wisely, Age Bravely.
