Saluting everyday heroes
Published: April 27, 2007
In a single day they could play the role of weatherperson, parent, counselor, doctor, pastor, reporter and more. They work behind the scene - away from the flashing lights, sirens, cameras and caution tape.
One of the few and biggest rewards they receive is the satisfaction they feel at the end of their shift. They might have contributed to saving a life or a house, finding a child or a criminal, or provide comfort as the last voice someone hears before they die.
They are dispatchers and this is their week.
Every year, the second full week of April is proclaimed as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in honor of the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators, or more commonly known as dispatchers.
The titles of telecommunicator or communications officer are being increasingly used because these officers do more than dispatch the right people to the right place. They are required to serve the public wearing many hats.
At the Van Wert City Police Department (VWCPD) and the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office (VWCSO), dispatchers have to monitor several radio bands, from the one their own law enforcement officers use to other department radios, answer 9-1-1 calls, answer business calls, dispatch ambulances, officers, firefighters, and talk to people walking in the door.
“We are the first contact when someone is upset or has a problem,” said Cheryl Bowen, 11 year dispatcher at the VWCPD. “We are the first contact and we have the potential for being the last voice a person hears. They may go unconscious and not come back.”
In a week, and sometimes a single day, dispatchers can take complaints of barking dogs, reports of missing children, power and cable outages, and automobile crashes, and a call from someone with a gun saying they want to kill themselves.
“One night I had three people that died on me,” said nearly two decade VWCPD dispatcher Rick Spoor. “But you go on to the next call.”
Bowen added that keeping humor in the better parts of their days and going and having a “good cry” if you lose someone are important coping mechanisms.
“Our job can also be fun though, it’s not boring. Everyday is different,” said six year VWCPD dispatcher Shelly Smith.
A dispatcher must be at the phones and radios 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. There are no holidays off, no leaving the office early on Fridays and no long lunches. There is always someone in the communication room at each location.
Simple daily tasks other people take for granted, like going to the bathroom or taking a few moments for a mental break, can be hard to come by when the radio and phones require constant monitoring.
“On a hectic day, you can’t get out of this room,” said Bowen.
There have been many changes that aid dispatchers in their job and allow the public to receive help faster, but some have also raised new problems and concerns. Many more people have cell phones and are using them to not only call from the road, but from home also.
All cell phone calls to 9-1-1 in the area are patched through to the sheriff’s office, regardless of the location of the caller. There is a GPS tracking system in place, but it’s intermittent. The technology is constantly being refined, but it’s far from those that are shown in popular TV shows.
“You never know when you answer the phone what’s going to be on the other end or if it’s going to be our county,” said Vicky Huebner, dispatcher at the VWCSO.
Huebner said because the cell phone calls can come from various towers from a single location, someone in Allen County might get routed to Van Wert. No matter where the person is calling from, it can still be hard to pinpoint their location. Sometimes, the GPS system might show them in a field when they are in a house or on a road.
Spoor said before, all they did was receive a call and had no idea where the caller was. Now, a landline call can be pinpointed and there is a chance to know where a cell phone caller is located.
“Cell phone callers many times don’t know where they are at, they don’t realize a lot of times that you have to be able to give that information out,” said Huebner. “We’ve went out looking for accidents, sometimes you just can’t find it.”
In such cases, dispatchers have to put on the hat of interviewer and ask as many questions so they can to try and figure out where the caller is. Asking for road signs and landmarks are common questions.
The Van Wert County Ohio State Highway Patrol Post doesn’t receive 9-1-1 calls but that doesn’t mean days are any slower. Troopers out on the road frequently come across emergencies and radio in to dispatch to request medical assistance or backup. OSHP dispatchers also have business lines and additionally, a non-emergency number (877-7-PATROL) for motorists in Ohio they monitor.
“Dispatchers have to be able to think on their feet and handle situations in a calm manner,” said Van Wert Post Commander Gene Smith. “You never know what’s on the other end of the phone.”
The top situations dispatchers said they will never forget were the tornado in 2002, talking a man that was threatening to kill himself with a gun into letting his grandchildren out of the house and putting the gun down, delivering a baby over the phone and getting medical assistance to a kid who had nearly cut his finger off with a metal Slinky.
And favorite parts of the job?
“Catching the bad guys,” said Bowen. “And making sure people are safe.”
Huebner added that one of a dispatcher’s main goals is “to make sure everyone goes home to their families at night.”
LOCAL DISPATCHERS HONORED
Several local dispatchers have been honored this year for their service. Three were nominated for awards at the Eighth Annual Gold Star Awards Luncheon for their part in two different calls.
The luncheon is a joint effort of the Ohio Chapters of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) to “publicly honor the outstanding individual achievements and contributions of the men and women who are the backbone of Ohio’s 9-1-1 system.”
A fourth earned the title of Dispatcher of the Year from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). Jean Myers, who has over 30 years of service with the Van Wert post, was honored in February of this year at the Patrol’s Annual Awards Luncheon for her 2006 title.
“She’s also retiring at the end of this month,” said Van Wert Post Commander Gene Smith. “It’s going to be tough to replace her.”
Cathy Evans of the Wert County Sheriff’s Office (VWCSO) and Rachel Sullivan of the Van Wert City Police Department (VWCPD) were nominated in the Double Gold category for their part in a call reporting a 10-foot python was wrapped around the waist and attached to the hand of its owner, who was beginning to panic. Evans had the role of keeping the caller calm, getting important information and dispatching emergency medical personnel.
Sullivan, who is studying to become a veterinarian, had been listening to the radio traffic on the VWCSO’s band and called Evans to lend a hand educated in dealing with animals. Evans relayed the information to the deputy at the scene, Colleen Wiley, who was able to get the python off of the person and into its cage, all without harming the animal.
Nominated in the Gold Star category was Rod Smith of the VWSO. Smith was recognized for his part in a call reporting a Thomas Edison school bus rollover. A 9-1-1 caller reported that the bus had rolled over and contained around 20 passengers who were possibly handicapped. Smith had to quickly dispatch several different emergency responders to the scene.
Even though they didn’t receive awards in the categories they were nominated for, 9-1-1 coordinator Kim Brandt said they and all dispatchers should be honored for the excellent work they do.
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