County dispatch adjusts to change
Karen Peterson
- Anna Wright , E911 Dispatcher
Karen Peterson
OEM Coordinator Steve Stanley
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Dispatchers Anna Wright and Michael Hingiss work a shift together to answer emergency calls in the county.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
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LAKE COUNTY — The phone rings at the E911 Dispatch Center in the Polson Courthouse, information screens light up, and the call is taken. “Lake County Dispatch; this is Anna.”
Calling 911 might not seem much different to the public, but the dispatch service is under new management as of July 1, and, so far, one thing has changed in regard to procedures.
“We are saying our names when we take calls,” Dispatcher Anna Wright said. The new greeting helps people make a connection to the dispatcher taking the call. Wright has 17 years of experience with dispatch, and she has seen a lot of changes through the years including an increase in call volume, but she was surprised by the reaction she received from a few people concerning the turnover in management.
“A few people said they didn’t think we were still here,” she said. She wants to assure everyone that the 911 service is still available 24-hours a day and it hasn’t moved.
Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Stanley is now in charge of day-to-day operations including making sure dispatch has enough coffee while they work 12-hour shifts.
“It’s part of the job,” Stanley said. Lake County Commissioners voted to move dispatch under the management of OEM earlier this year.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office managed dispatch for the past several decades. Moving dispatch was considered several times throughout the years but was often pushed aside. The current team of dispatchers supports the move.
“I believe this will create continuity,” said Assistant Dispatch Supervisor Shelly Burland. She explained that the sheriff’s office is run by an elected position that often changes.
Stanley said dispatch is his main focus so he has more time to focus on improvement projects.
“Being a stand-alone system allows us to do things (Sheriff Don Bell) wasn’t able to do with the workload he carried,” Stanley said. “My focus is on dispatch. I have more time and much less responsibility. The sheriff has an overwhelming job. I don’t know how he did it all.”
Stanley is currently working with contractors to build a break room next to the dispatch center with a bathroom so dispatchers don’t have to travel to another floor.
“It’s hard to describe the excitement we have about this,” Burland said.
Dispatch was moved under OEM management in an effort to give emergency responders, dispatch, and the public more input into the decision-making process and that was accomplished with the formation of the E911 Board.
The board consists of members that represent the different emergency crews in the valley and the public. Lake County Sheriff Don Bell represents the sheriff’s office. Polson Police Chief Wade Nash represents the three police departments and tribal police. Emergency Responder Tim Brester represents Emergency Medical Services, and Ronan Volunteer Fire Chief Mark Clary represents the fire departments.
Alan Unruh and Carol Field represent the public. Darlene Lester is on the board for dispatch services. Chuck Fahner represents geological information services including mapping.
A sub-committee was also created with law enforcement making up more than half of the members as are the requirements with the criminal information network used by emergency responders.
Lake County Commissioners make final decisions concerning dispatch with input from OEM and the board. Stanley oversees dispatch, and the board votes on issues.
“Now, we have representatives to benefit all agencies,” Stanley said.
The board gives direct input concerning how funding is used which is collected from phone charges for 911 services. The money is used for equipment and supplies. The service also receives county tax dollars that are primarily used to pay wages for dispatch employees.
The E911 Board held their first meeting last month. Regular quarterly meetings will be posted on the Lake County 911 Dispatch Facebook page and in the courthouse.
“We will evaluate the system and see if we want to make any changes,” he said. “The board will have a tremendous amount of input in that.”
Community comment is also considered.
“People can take their concerns to the board and we will answer their questions,” he said.
Dispatch handled about 20,859 calls so far this year.
“Those are all calls that required a report, not including administrative calls,” he said. “With law, fire, and ambulance, they are busy.”
Stanley said dispatch isn’t an easy job.
“This is a horrendously tough job,” he said. “Dispatch works weekends, nights, holidays. We put them in a room for 12-hour shifts and ask them to handle every kind of issue.”
It takes a special kind of person to do the job.
“I want them to know that they are appreciated,” he said.“Dispatch is the backbone for our first responders and they are doing a great job.”
Stanley wants to develop a program centered on connecting dispatch with the public after a call. He said it would help the dispatchers find closure on some of the traumatic calls.
“We had 12-year-old call and her father was having a heart attack,” he said. “The girl watched her father die. She did everything dispatch asked her to do. Calls like that affect my staff.
Another project includes creating a safety net.
“If we have a dispatcher take a call involving one of their own family members, we want to be able to scoop them up and get them to a safe place,” he said.
Stanley is in charge of dispatch, but he disperses responsibilities to the dispatchers, including helping hire new staff members.
“I’m letting them create their own environment,” he said. “They are a family and it takes a special kind of person to sit in a room for 12 hours a shift and handle what they do, and they know what they need.”
The dispatch service is currently understaffed.
“We have two more positions open,” he said. If anyone is interested, applications are available.
