It’s National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, designed to recognize the work of emergency dispatchers around the area and across the country.
There’s a lot of work to do. Lyon County Emergency Communications Director Roxanne Van Gundy says the “heroes under the headset” manage every emergency call.
That’s not to mention the urgent calls like assaults, stabbings or shootings, and it doesn’t factor in the 100-plus calls per day commonplace during the spring burn season. And, yes, dispatchers helped to successfully deliver a baby just before Christmas.
In fact, the daily call load can swing from 150 to 1,000, and with the department short-staffed, Van Gundy says dispatchers are masters of prioritizing calls because they have to be.
Dispatchers start with a combination of classroom training, offsite training and buddy training that can last six months or so.
Given the nature of the work, mental health is a concern — although it’s one that’s only now receiving national attention. Van Gundy is watching constantly for burnout and stress overload with her team members.
Lyon County currently has 12 dispatchers with two in training. Van Gundy needs another 12 to be fully staffed, so the current dispatch team is working a mix of 8- and 12-hour shifts to cover the load.
More information about dispatchers and the Lyon County Emergency Communications Center can be found on the department’s Facebook page.