Serving as a telephone lifeline between those in need of help and those responding to help them, Carson City 911 dispatchers serve as the essential go-between known in the emergency services universe as “first, first responders.”
Working in 12 hour shifts, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, Carson City 911 dispatchers serve this vital service by answering emergency calls, managing high-stress situations and multi-tasking while coordinating with Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Carson City Fire Department, EMS and Public Works, all in real time.
They do this while gauging the needs of those on the other line, often provide life-saving instructions in CPR, all the while providing vital information to responders who are sent to the scene. They do these miraculous tasks while also managing multiple calls.
In recognizing what they do, April 12-18 has been designated National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and is being celebrated throughout the country, in counties and cities across the state of Nevada and right here in Carson City.
“We are the first, first responders. That is something we take a lot of pride in. We are the first point of contact for leading somebody through the unthinkable and it is our voices the community is trusting to allocate resources in their time of need,” said Jenn Stoffer, Carson City’s 911 Communications Manager.
“The job requires a lot of critical thinking and immediate decision making with the challenge being that the only thing we have to work with are somebody’s words,” said Stoffer. “We can’t see the scene. We can only go based on what we are being told and then hope our words are strong enough to guide somebody during that time. We’re truly the first on scene in a sense.”
Carson City’s 911 Communications Center has 18 dispatchers and a part time warrant specialist. The team is led by Stoffer and Maricela Ceballos, the center’s Operations Supervisor, who celebrates her 22nd year with Carson City Dispatch this Thursday.
“Our communications specialists have one of the most difficult jobs in the world in that they are constantly prepared to manage emergency situations through a wide range of resources to get the person on the other line the help they need,” said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. “Their tasks are many, and for the public who may not see them, they hear them and help them get through their emergency before law enforcement and firefighters arrive. What they do is absolutely amazing.”
As part of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, Carson City’s 911 Dispatch aptly selected this year’s theme, “Fast and Focused Dispatch Pit Crew” with the communications center decked out in race car-theme decorations.
This month is also a big step for the department as Carson City Dispatch is currently undergoing changes to its operating system, which will be a 20-year jump in technology. The Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department and a few other allied agencies are in an exciting time right now, nearing the finish line, hence punctuating the “Fast and Focused Dispatch Pit Crew” theme.
With the transition, Carson City Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department are upgrading their computer aided dispatch program that will provide work-flow improvements and built-in efficiency, Stoffer said.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is an annual, second-week-of-April observance honoring 911 dispatchers, emergency telecommunicators and communications personnel for their critical role in public safety. Founded in 1981, it was officially recognized nationwide in 1994, honoring the “heroes behind the headset” who process more than 240 million emergency calls annually.
