Emergency dispatchers in Merced County recognized for critical work

Emergency dispatchers handle thousands of calls every week. They are the first voice a person hears when they call for help.

“We coordinate between the callers, the officers and other agencies so everybody gets the help they need, from the officers to the people calling for help,” explained Keri Pickett, the dispatch supervisor for the Merced-area California Highway Patrol.

Pickett, who has run the Merced CHP dispatcher center for seven years, said the term “multitasker” doesn’t adequately explain the critical juggling act of a dispatcher’s daily routine.

CHP Officer Moises Onsurez said spotlighting the important job every emergency dispatcher does in an incident is important and their roles frequently get overlooked or forgotten. Onsurez said this week, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, is an opportunity to highlight those emergency responders.

Nearly all 911 calls from cellphones in Merced County are directed to the CHP center in Atwater and then routed to the appropriate agencies. “We average about 35,000 calls a month,” Pickett said. “Sometimes it’s hard when calls (get rerouted) because you don’t always know what the outcome was.”

The Merced CHP center handled over 8,000 calls during just the first week of March this year, a particularly busy seven-day stretch.

“There was one point recently where we had two separate (vehicle) pursuits going simultaneously and the dispatcher had to coordinate both at the same time,” she recalled. “You can’t internalize the calls, but you are taking on the stress of the person on the other end of the line.”

Dispatchers said there are many misconceptions about their jobs and what dispatchers can do when a person calls 911. Many times those misunderstandings are perpetuated by television police dramas.

There are some things dispatchers hope everybody understands when they call.

“We don’t know where you are when you call from your cellphone,” Dispatcher Nicole Martin said. “Your phone pings off a cell tower and we have a general area, but we don’t have your exact location. You need to be able to tell us where you are.”

Unfounded 911 calls, including prank calls, are another issue that crops up several times a day.

“It’s just not a good idea to let your child play with your cellphone,” dispatcher Ashley Wilson said. “We’ve had them (kids) call 911 several times in a row and we have to try to keep calling back to make sure that everything is OK.”

Pickett said it’s a difficult job and not one that everybody could do, but it’s also rewarding.

“Our job is to make sure the officers get home safe and you get all the help you need,” Pickett said. “It’s stressful and you’re always behind the scene, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Emergency dispatchers in Merced County recognized for critical work."