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November 30, 2024 Giving thanks for emergency dispatchers who make a difference
PERF Members, Last week I wrote about officers who have gone the extra mile to make a difference in their communities. This week I’ll continue that theme by shining a light on call takers and dispatchers who have also done exemplary work. These individuals are the first to communicate with someone in trouble, whether that’s a depressed teenager or despondent veteran thinking of hurting themselves, a frantic mother who cannot find her child, or a victim of domestic violence. The quality of the initial information conveyed by the dispatcher to the responding officers can set those cops on a path to success or failure. When a dispatcher learns and conveys that a caller may be suicidal and has a weapon, officers may be able to avoid a “suicide-by-cop” situation. When a ship was about to strike Baltimore’s Key Bridge in March, dispatchers saved lives by instructing officers to close the bridge to traffic.
The aftermath of the Key Bridge collapse. Source: U.S. Coast Guard Dispatchers often work under stressful conditions and interact with people on some of the worst days of their lives. They regularly hear about mental health crises, car crashes, sexual assaults, and violent crimes. Many are underpaid and overworked, and the profession has a high turnover rate. So this Thanksgiving I want to express my gratitude to those who do this hard work day in and day out. Dispatcher Mackenzie Atkinson, Dover Police Department (DE): Dispatcher Mackenzie Atkinson received a call about a boater in distress in August, but quickly realized the caller was attempting to reach police in Dover, England, not Dover, Delaware. Using their training, Atkinson and colleagues notified local authorities in Europe, and within minutes of the initial call, rescuers were on their way. “When folks hear me say that ‘I work with great people,’ they usually infer that I’m talking about sworn police officers,” Dover Chief Thomas Johnson, Jr. told WHYY. “But let me just set the record straight that I mean everybody when I say that.” Dispatcher Donna Lane, Southold Police Department (NY): Last month dispatcher Donna Lane saw a house on fire as she was driving home from a shift that ended at midnight. She pulled over and banged on the door, waking up a resident who then woke up her husband and three kids and evacuated everyone from the house. According to the Suffolk Times, the police report about the incident said, “Lane’s selfless actions and quick thinking prevented a major tragedy.” Dispatcher Amanda Garr, Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications: Last fall dispatcher Amanda Garr helped save the life of retired Chicago firefighter George Ma’Ayteh, who was having a cardiac issue. Garr calmly instructed the 911 caller on how to perform CPR on Ma’Ayteh and had an ambulance sent to the location. “It was a blessing that she was on the phone that day,” Ma’Ayteh told ABC 7 Chicago.
Amanda Garr was honored in New York City on National First Responders Day 2024. Source: Instagram Dispatcher Maria Curtis, Yarmouth Police Department (MA): In September, dispatcher Maria Curtis received a call from police with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs about an intoxicated veteran in need of immediate assistance. VA Police didn’t know the man’s exact location, so Curtis alerted patrol officers and did a little research to discover that the man’s mother lived nearby. Officers found the man, who was then brought to a hospital for treatment. In a statement reported by the Hyannis News, the Yarmouth Police Department said, “Dispatcher Curtis’s initiative to use her years of experience to track down information directly resulted in bringing this incident to a successful conclusion.” Dispatcher Kim Krause, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office (WI): Two weeks ago, dispatcher Kim Krause received a call from a 10-year-old asking for help with math homework. Krause explained that 911 shouldn’t be used for those types of problems, but she had time to try to help over the phone. And the patrol deputies weren’t busy at the time, so Deputy Chase Mason was able to stop by the boy’s house and help with the homework. “Cops are there to help people and especially the youth,” Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner told Good Morning America. “I don’t want our youth to ever be afraid of law enforcement. I want them to continue knowing that law enforcement is there to help them.”
Kim Krause, a 911 dispatcher with the Shawano County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin. Source: Shawano County Sheriff’s Office/Good Morning America Dispatcher Alyssa Eichholz, Greenfield County (IN): Last month dispatcher Alyssa Eichholz talked a family through delivering a baby at home. Within 90 seconds, Eichholz could hear the baby crying, and medical responders arrived shortly afterward. “Alyssa did a fantastic job on the phone assisting the family,” call center director John Jokantas told the Greenfield Reporter. Dispatcher Kate Luedke, Seward County (NE): After Hurricane Helene caused significant damage in the Asheville, North Carolina, area in late September, local 911 dispatchers were overwhelmed with weeks of increased call volume as they managed storm-related crises in their personal lives. In October, Kate Luedke and three other dispatchers from Nebraska traveled to Asheville for two weeks to cover for dispatchers who needed a break. “The dispatchers are people dealing with disaster and just keep coming back. The fact that they did that – they are just so tough,” Luedke told the Seward Independent. Communications Specialist Lucas Santos, Flager County Sheriff’s Office (FL): Last December Lucas Santos instructed a woman on how to do CPR on her husband as emergency medical services made their way to the couple’s house. The man survived, and the couple visited the communications center to thank Santos personally. “Communications Specialist Lucas Santos’s quick response and calming voice helped save this man’s life,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a commendation reported by News 4 JAX. “We have an amazing team of dispatchers serving in our 911 communications center, that are incredibly dedicated professionals that truly save lives.” Call-taker Jo-Anne Pope, Hamilton, Ontario: When Jo-Anne Pope spoke with a Nigerian immigrant who an ex-partner was concerned may have been suicidal, she persuaded him to step down from the bridge he was standing on and talk to her until police arrived. When she tells people she cares, “I really mean that,” Pope told the Hamilton Spectator. “I really want people to get help.” This Thanksgiving I’m grateful to everyone – police officers, dispatchers, and other professional staff – who goes the extra mile to serve their community. And thanks to PERF members and staff who take their work to heart and in the process make a difference. Best, Chuck |
