In pictures: Inside the National Ambulance Control room

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  The role of the control room team is to take emergency calls and gain vital information so help can be sent as soon as possible. They are the first link in the emergency response chain.

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  Call handler Mohammed Abdoh, 23, says he had a career highlight a week ago, when he successfully gave CPR instructions over the phone until the ambulance arrived.

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  Dispatcher Omar Al Matar takes a call during his 12-hour shift. ‘When you answer the phone, you have to be ready for anything,’ he says.

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  There are several jobs in an ambulance control room. It is one person’s job to take calls from the police or the public. Another job is to dispatch one of the 20 ambulances which operate out of eight key points and 22 sub-locations in the Northern Emirates.

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  Team leader Marsha Feighan. The biggest stress is dealing with the geographical challenge the Northern Emirates pose.

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  A on-duty paramedic is always in the control room to answer any medical queries and a team leader oversees operations, making sure things run smoothly.

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  Dispatcher Maysam Abu Hsiyan in the control room headquarters.

National Ambulance, which launched its service in the Northern Emirates five month ago, allowed The National to witness the operations of its control room headquarters to provide a real-time account on the front lines of emergency care. All photos by Christopher Pike / The National