Carson City dispatch recognized as 'first' lifeline responders when emergencies happen

CARSON CITY — They are the lifeline on the other end of the telephone. They listen, take notes and gather as much information as they can in seconds.

Those seconds count, especially in matters of traumatic injury or fire or criminal matters happening in real time.

Ask anyone who has worked in a field where a matter of seconds didn't apply. Put them behind the desk of an emergency dispatcher and it is a whole other level of work. An entirely different reality.

Those who call emergency communications their profession say there's really no other job like it. And for good reason. It's a job where it could be relatively quiet one minute and the next, six calls for help fly in, each unrelated, and each at different locations.

In other words, every shift experience is different, and there's little room for error. It's why 911 dispatchers are considered the "first" first responders to an emergency.

Those phone calls, amounting to dozens a day, everyday, 365 days a year, range from burglaries, domestic battery, lost children, lost parents, to requests for medical help such as strokes, heart attacks and falls causing traumatic injury.

Every April there is nationwide recognition of these fine men and women who are on the other end of the phone when someone calls 911 for help. This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and Public Safety Telecommunications Week in Nevada.

In Carson City, there are two dispatch centers, one operated through the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the other through the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Each center is responsible for dispatching emergency personnel to an incident after a call has been placed to them, usually through 911 or a non-emergency number. Go here to see a video from the Department of Public Safety regarding its dispatch centers in Nevada. And go here to read Gov. Steve Sisolak's proclamation recognizing Public Safety Telecommunications Week in Nevada.

These telecommunication dispatchers get the vital information, such as the nature of the emergency, where the reporting party is calling from; when the incident happened and are those involved in danger to themselves, to others or to emergency personnel. Are weapons involved? Are there pets that act aggressively as first responders prepare to assist?

To lay it on the line, Carson City dispatch and those throughout the country puts it on the line to provide those on the other end the help they need and those public safety officers, paramedics and firefighters, the safest means to do it.

"Our dispatchers do an amazing job," said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. "In addition to answering thousands of phone calls a month, with an average around 20 percent of those calls being 911, they offer officers, firefighters and paramedics vital information to keep the first responders safe and those in need the help they need. I am so honored they are here with the sheriff's office."

Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon said as firefighters and paramedics their primary job is to help someone when they are having their worst day. Be it a fire, a car accident, a medical emergency or the myriad of other emergencies they respond to on a daily basis. Carson City firefighters responded 10,558 times last year.

"On every single one of those emergencies it was our public safety dispatchers who received the call, assured the caller that help was on the way, and often times provided life-saving information to the caller over the phone," said Slamon. "Our public safety dispatchers are like a Guardian Angel, you never see them but they are the first person to help you when you need it. I am proud to honor and support our dispatchers this week as we recognize National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week."

The Carson City Sheriff's Office Communications Division is made up of 12 dispatchers, six supervisors and two warrant service specialists. The division will be hiring a 13th dispatcher this year. The team is led by Carson City Communications Manager Karin Mracek.

It was a busy 2018 for the Carson City Communications Division. There were 27,436 calls for service for the sheriff's department, 1,108 fire calls, 9,450 medical calls and 4,126 calls for other divisions such as public works and animal control.

Mracek said she is blessed by a team of professionals who not only are passionate about their job, but are compassionate on the other end, "going the extra mile, taking the extra step," to make sure no stone goes unturned.

One of the veteran CCSO dispatchers, Liz Hertz, while going off duty for the day, had a feeling that something wasn't right with an elderly woman she had been communicating with via dispatch days prior. She hadn't heard from the woman and sensed something may not be right. So she asked the sheriff's office Mobile Outreach and Safety Team, also known as MOST, to check on the woman. The team arrived and found the woman's condition to be severe.

"That intuition, that gut feeling and extra attention in notifying MOST may have saved the woman's life," Mracek said, noting correspondence from the response team relayed to her about what Hertz had done.

Carson City has produced a video to recognize Public Safety Telecommunications Week. You can see the video here or below. We asked veteran and newcomers to Carson City dispatch about their job. Here's what they had to say:

Kelly Mead, dispatcher for 18 years: I've seen many changes over the past few years. The dynamics in our community have changed quite a bit. Specifically with the number of calls for help with mental health issues and suicide.

"When I started there wasn't as many of these kinds of issues. Now we get these calls daily. And we've learned how to take these calls along the way with training. It's hard as there is a sense of wanting to resolve a situation where people are struggling with mental illness on a day to day basis. We facilitate the best we can and get them the help they need in the moment. We hear them, as dispatchers, and send resources to help them navigate through it in the moment, but in terms of long term fixes, it needs more than the law enforcement community. And there's that sense of not having the power to affect that. There are improvements such as MOST (Mobile Outreach and Safety Team). They are having an impact on our resources.

"For us, there is a personal stress involved, and there is always the questions: did I do enough and did I do the right thing? It can be really heavy at times. If you don't have the necessary mental acuity to process it, it can be difficult. What I've learned is that time and experience helps us to process."

Isela Uribe, a dispatcher in training for the past 4 months: "Prior to this I was in the medical field. I wanted to try something different and I wanted to learn what dispatch was about. I would say there is a lot more to the job than I thought there was before going in. But it makes sense as to why. There's a lot more than what people outside of the building are aware of. It's a team effort, and a multi-tasking environment that is fast paced. That's what I like about it. You have a sense of doing something for the community, that you are helping people."

Maricella Ceballos, dispatcher who celebrated her 15th year on Tuesday. She reflected on her years with the Carson City Communication Center.

"We've been through a lot together, we've experienced many stressful moments and calls, and personal and work related things. The support of everyone has been great on and off the floor. We are here for hours and days with each other and we get to become great friends and a support system for each other.

"I started when I was 18 turning 19. After a certain amount of years of having this experience you develop and grow and learn. As you go through this you really start appreciating everything we do, what the deputies do, what the firefighters and medics do. So after a while you begin to realize that this is full circle support throughout. You begin to really appreciate the job and you develop a high standard for yourself and you see that high standard in others, helping each other along the way."

You can help Carson City’s telecommunication, dispatchers by spreading awareness about non-emergency calls. Non-emergency calls can disrupt dispatch communications and may impact both public safety and emergency medical services. Please only dial 9-1-1 for emergency purposes and be sure to lock your phone before putting it in your purse or pocket.

For non-emergencies please call:
775-887-COPS (2677): The non-emergency number for Carson City Sheriff’s Office.
775-887-FIRE (3473): The non-emergency number for Carson City Fire Department.