"9-1-1...what is your emergency?" When an individual dials 9-1-1, it’s probably not their best day.
Public safety telecommunicators answer the call and coordinate the information and logistics of the needed response with frontline responders. And, in doing so, public safety telecommunicators stand together with law enforcement on the front lines of public safety. This week, the public safety community honors telecommunicators by participating in National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
I recently spoke with Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol about the importance of celebrating the work of the telecommunicator and how they and their roles impact law enforcement. Chief Batiste, who began his Washington State Patrol career in 1976, as a cadet and dispatch officer, graciously shared his thoughts with me. Here’s what he had to say.
Q. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week honors all public safety telecommunicators, including emergency call handlers and dispatch personnel. Why is this important for us to do as an industry?
I think it is extremely important to recognize all the team members who help us to get the job done when it comes to serving others. Our telecommunicators are one of our most vital links within our operation, helping us serve the public. I couldn’t imagine not giving them due recognition for all that they do for us as law enforcement officers on the front line and for all they do for Washingtonians.
Q. As Chief of the Washington State Patrol, how do officers in your department work with public safety telecommunicators?
My officers work with them day in and day out during the course of their jobs. Of course, the telecommunicators are on the receiving end of 9-1-1 calls from individuals who need assistance. They receive the call and push information about the call out, communicating what the caller’s needs are, so that our troopers or officers on the front line have the critical information needed to respond appropriately.
Q. How do telecommunicators help your agency?
They are a great support to others in terms of meeting people’s needs when they are calling in for assistance. Just as important, they are a tremendous help to the folks on the other end of the mic -- troopers, deputies, police officers, tow operators, or Department of Transportation personnel. They are that communications link to help us understand what we are dealing with, so we have the proper mindset and can be prepared when we arrive at the scene.
Q. What do the best public safety telecommunicators do really well?
They gather and confirm relevant information. They collect as much information about a call as possible to share with the trooper or officer on the front line so that they can prepare them for the situation they are about to respond to.
Additionally, they provide a critical role of being a calming effect. A good communicator will help calm everybody involved in the situation, whether it is the caller or the officer on the other end who is engaged in emergency situations. They are that reassuring voice that says, “I’m here for you. It is going to be okay.”
In the middle of a storm, a good telecommunicator is the calming factor because they can multitask like no one else.
Q. Has the impact of telecommunicators on the responding officer’s job changed over the years? And, if so, how?
Technology has been the biggest change. Everything is driven by technology. And the rising volume of calls that come in and have evolved with regard to people calling 9-1-1, particularly for law enforcement. Interestingly, people call 9-1-1 for just about anything you can imagine. Patience is a needed attribute of anyone taking 9-1-1 calls.
Q. How has COVID-19 impacted your area’s telecommunicators?
It has impacted our entire agency in a number of ways, including how we support our telecommunicators. For example, our telecommunicators traditionally work in a confined space, so we have implemented all the applicable public health guidelines and recommendations from our state department of health and the Centers for Disease Control.
We want to make sure they take care of themselves, individually and as a group. It is very important to us to ensure the health of our telecommunicators, so we can avoid our center coming down with an effect driven by the pandemic.
We have eight communication centers throughout the state. It has been taxing to make sure we do everything we can to allow people to have the time off they need to take care of emergency situations involving their families but also be at the center to provide for the caller’s needs and that of our troopers.
We ask they do as much as they can when it comes to asking 9-1-1 callers about any potential dangers that troopers could be exposed to at the scene.
Q. Do you envision ever being able to have a 9-1-1 call taker being able to do that from home?
Public safety telecommunicators are continually evolving as a profession, along with the technology provided. The key is that someone’s there to answer the 9-1-1 calls, dispatch the information and answer the caller’s or trooper’s questions.
Q. What do you think about classifying telecommunicators as first responders?
In my view, they are a true hero in our ability to provide public safety services. It doesn’t happen without their involvement.
Q. What are your thoughts on telecommunicators and mental health?
As an agency, we have a full-time department psychologist, a peer support program, and a full-time chaplaincy program. We encourage our employees to take advantage of one or all of these tools.
Supervisors are expected to keep a watchful eye out for any behavior out of the ordinary occurring with our telecommunicators that may need further looking into.
Q. What advice would you give to an officer about working with public safety telecommunicators?
It is important for them to realize that the most important person they will speak to during their shift is their telecommunicator. It is important to get to know them, get to know the complexity of their job.
Troopers cannot get their job done on any given day without the assistance of a telecommunications officer.
Q. Is there anything else I should have asked you?
The Washington State Patrol is a great organization! We are always recruiting telecommunicators. Being a telecommunicator is a vital role in helping law enforcement meet the public safety needs of a community.
Lynne Houserman is Vice President, Emergency Call Handling, Software Enterprise with Motorola Solutions.
