The 911 ‘battle station': Meet the heroes behind the scenes

When seconds can make the difference between life and death, South Walton Fire District dispatch operators are the voice of reason in a chaotic situation.

After answering more than 20,000 calls for service last year, SWFD Assistant Fire Chief Marc Anderson says “everything we do starts with dispatch.”

“Whether it’s a call for an emergency or for administrative purposes, these are the people who find out what the problem is and send the information to the appropriate places,” Anderson said.

SWFD dispatch operators are the voice behind the scenes and handle almost every facet of an emergency call and keep the fire station running smoothly.

When a 911 call is placed, the caller is immediately connected to the county dispatch center at the Emergency Operations Center, then after determining the type of emergency, the call is forwarded to the appropriate service.

Dispatchers at the SWFD undergo continuous training in addition to meeting both emergency medical dispatch and emergency fire dispatch qualifications.

The SWFD is responsible for all fire related, trauma and accident calls. Anderson said one of their goals is to be in route to an emergency within one minute of the call for help being made.

Judi Murphy, who is originally from Idaho, is in her third year as a dispatch operator.

“This was completely new to me when I got into it,” said the Niceville resident. “From the description in the newspaper I thought this was something I could do. Looking back I don’t think I knew what I was getting into. But everything has been great so far. I really enjoy what I do here.”

A dispatcher’s day begins bright and early at 7 a.m., and doesn’t end till the sun starts to sink below the horizon at 7 p.m. The typical work schedule is two days on and then two days off, then three more days on and another two off, and finally three days on and three off.

In addition to the demanding schedule, the dispatchers rotate between day and night shifts every three to four months.

“To me, the 12-hour shifts are tough sometimes,” Murphy said. “Sometimes you will go an entire shift at night and not have one call, which is a good thing, that means everyone is safe.”

Anderson said when he looks for dispatchers there are two key traits that stand out.

“You want someone who can multi-task and is computer literate,” he said. “They are listening to the call in their ears, asking important questions to the caller, taking notes and deciding what units are necessary. Even if we have all of our units out on calls, they keep things running smoothly. These guys and gals are just amazing.”

When taking a call Murphy said the first thing she asks the caller is the address of the emergency. She follows by getting the telephone number, name of the person and the type of emergency.

All of the information that Murphy collects is displayed on the four computer monitors perched above her desk.

The first monitor is an “enhanced” caller ID screen that populates with the caller’s information, the next screen is the radio screen that lists all frequency groups for communication, the third is the computer aided dispatch screen where Murphy generates her reports, and the last is the map screen which displays a detailed map of where the caller is located and the streets and buildings around them.

Depending on the call, Murphy has access to a flip chart with pre-determined questions and responses, which allows her to collect vital information for the crews on the way.

“Basically it will say, if this is what is happening, then this is what we need to know,” she said. “You go question by question until you find out what the condition is. It helps to prioritize our level of response.”

Anderson noted that the flip-chart system was developed by a group of doctors.

Murphy and fellow dispatcher Danny Graham agreed that being a dispatch operator has its challenges.

“You just never know what the next call is going to be,” Murphy said.  “Giving instructions on how to administer life support can be tough. People are in desperate situations and under stress so you just have to be calm and be as patient as you can. Regardless of the situation you need them as much as they need you.”

Graham said while working dispatch you can get caught up in what is going on from day to day and the best thing you can do is to clear your head before you go home.

“You just have to realize that you cannot take it home with you,” said the Panama City resident. “You hear so many things, you just have to tell yourself it’s your job, and try to not think about it.”

Graham, who has also worked for the fire district on the north side of the bay, said he loves his job and has no plans of going anywhere soon.

“Dispatch can be both a stepping stone to another place or a career,” he said. “I have enough experience where I could go somewhere else and be a communications officer. This has opened up many doors for me and can do the same for anyone who may be interested.”

The SWFD in addition to both local and national fire and police departments are currently celebrating Nation Communications Week April 11-17.