March 19, 2024

Emergency dispatchers honored during week of April 12-18

County first responders grateful for helpful voices

“Go ahead with your traffic.”

That’s one of the many things a Jasper County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher might say to a first responder by radio. It’s one of what seems like one million things a dispatcher must say during a shift, trying to coordinate the ongoing movements of dozens of county law enforcement, fire and medical personnel — all while taking in the county’s 911 calls.

Established by a Congressional resolution in the mid-1990s, the second full week of April is dedicated to the nation’s women and men who serve in emergency dispatch roles. National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week is devoted to showing appreciation for those whose faces are not out among the public, but whose ears and voices are critical in getting help to those who need it.

“Dispatchers are like the quarterbacks of emergency response, in terms of directing people,” said Lt. Brad Shutts, who oversees Jasper County’s dispatch center as part of his duties. “They can see combinations of things officers can’t see from a vehicle — even one with a computer screen — and are talking to RPs (reporting parties) via 911, so they’re a real lifeline for us.”

The nine Jasper County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers service all of the emergency response in the county, which includes the sheriff, the police departments of Newton, Colfax, Baxter and Monroe; the Iowa State Patrol, Skiff Medical Center and all of Jasper County Emergency Management and all of the county’s fire departments and area ground or air ambulances.

There are three main workstations in the sheriff’s office dispatch center, with enough full-size computer monitors to fill a warehouse. Shutts said those monitors are used to display everything from maps to federal suspect information, so dispatchers’ eyes and ears are busy the entire shift.

Shutts said the most senior dispatcher at the center is Kim Balmer, wife of former sheriff Mike Balmer, and she’s been on staff for more than 28 years. The newest dispatcher has been with the sheriff’s office for about a year and a half, he said.

“We’ve had a few that didn’t pan out, but, mostly, when we get a new dispatcher, they don’t leave,” Shutts said.

The second-newest dispatcher is Carmen Keith, and she’s been at the center for about six and a half years.

“Being able to help people is probably the most satisfying part of the job,” Keith said.

Keith said organizational skills and being able to multi-task are important elements of the job, which requires a week-long stint at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston, along with other more-compressed training. Maintaining current first aid and CPR certification is essential, as dispatchers routinely handle health-emergency calls. Newton Police Lt. Wes Breckenridge said it’s obvious the county dispatchers are thinking about public safety.

“The Newton Police Department would like to thank the dispatchers at the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office for their unyielding dedication to the citizens, police and fire/EMS crews in the county,” Breckenridge said. “We at the police department feel fortunate to have such dedicated dispatchers that keep us and the citizens safe.”

Shutts said de-briefing is utilized after a complex incident to see what could be done better. He also said it’s important for field officers to praise and highlight things that are done well by dispatch.

Keith said one dispatcher frustration is not knowing what’s happening out on the streets; modern technology, and even superb staffing ratios, only provide dispatchers with part of the picture of what’s happening at an incident. Shutts said dispatchers try to avoid long silences on the radio lines by asking for a status.

“When something serious is happening, seconds can seem like hours,” Shutts said.

Keith said that aside from National Weather Service storm warnings, there are very few ways to predict when dispatchers will hit a busy stretch. Not even holidays are predictable, in terms of volume of 911 calls — although Shutts said there tend to be more child-custody disputes on holiday weekends and when school is out for the summer.

Keith said the three eight-hour shifts of each day can all be completely different, and the amount or type of calls for the 36,000 residents of Jasper County can change in just a few minutes. While the dispatchers certainly want first responders and the public to avoid harm, Keith knows there will be times when many serious calls come in at once, and that’s when dispatchers need to be at the top of their game.

“I think one trait most dispatchers share is we are hands-on types,” Keith said. “We like it when it’s busy. That sort of adrenaline-rush time is where we thrive.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com