911 Center Fields Wide Range Of Calls
When those in need of emergency assistance call 911 in McDonald County, the calm voice that answers them is one of 14 dispatchers for the area. The 911 Dispatch Center fields more than 50,000 calls each year, ranging from accidental calls from children to motor vehicle accidents and fires to concerned mothers mid-childbirth.
How do they prepare themselves to assist with any manner of distress on the line? Lots of training. To answer any emergency call, dispatchers must complete Basic Dispatch APCO or ETC 24-hour classroom and exam; MULES certification 40-hour classroom and exam; EMD 24-hour classroom and exam; healthcare provider level CPR; basic NIMS, a minimum of 452 hours of in-house training hours and ongoing training to maintain those certifications.
Dispatchers are also equipped with an extensive book of procedure outlining specific scenarios with stepby-step dialogue and questions to troubleshoot any complications or trauma.
Lisa McCool-Rataczak has worked as a dispatcher since 1995 and served as the director of the 911 Center since 2005. She said the biggest change in the past 24 years has been technology.
“We’re better prepared and equipped,” she said. “When I started, we had a pen and paper to take down the information and a computer to run plates and people.”
Now, all calls are logged into the computer-aided dispatch system and automatically recorded. Dispatchers rely on seven cell towers throughout McDonald County to handle calls for six police departments, 10 fire departments, and one ambulance service. McCool-Rataczak said there are plans to install an additional cell tower in Anderson, near the elementary school.
“We hope to improve radio transmission significantly,” she said. “We’re working together and making the tax money count.”
The 911 Center is funded by a county sales tax and managed by a seven-person board of directors.
“Board members bring so many aspects of insight,” McCool-Rataczak said. “They represent fire departments, police departments, EMS, agriculture. We have some that have been on city council and involved with the fair.”
Dispatchers also visit schools with the 911 Center’s mascot, Rescue Fox, to talk about what to do in emergency situations, who to contact and how. They also speak with students about the importance of memorizing their home address. McCool-Rataczak said the center held a contest in the schools to choose a name for the mascot and students decided on Rescue Fox, “because foxes are fast and smart.”
In recent years, the 911 Center has adopted a text-to-911 feature that allows those in need to send a message to dispatchers. This helps increase accessibility to the hearing impaired and those who live in areas with spotty reception. Dispatchers ask that a location, incident summary and names of those involved be included in the message if possible.