BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
Jackson police telecommunicators Robin Friedman (l) and Shannon Holt play a key role in helping to ensure the safety of police officers and citizens during emergency situations. Friedman, Holt and their fellow telecommunicators are being honored during National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, April 8-14. JACKSON – Whether you call 911 or your local police department’s telephone number in an emergency, a trained telecommunicator will be there, ready to respond.
“While the job of a telecommunicator is often misunderstood and underappreciated, if you ever have an emergency, a telecommunicator or dispatcher will be the first person you speak to. They are the first of the first responders,” said Jackson Police Officer John Convery, who is the Terminal Agency Coordinator.
The Jackson Police Department will participate in National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week April 8-14 to thank the telecommunicators for the work they do and the assistance they provide to police officers and the public.
The Jackson Police Department tele-communicators are Margaret Bollentin, Robin Friedman, Rose Hendrickson, Shannon Holt, Kelly Long, Darlene Milko, Brant Uricks, Deborah Visconi, Sheri Witham, Jason Zimmerman, June Musto and Robin Russell.
Convery said people who call 911 during a crisis or a local police department asking for directions will be speaking with a dedicated public safety professional.
Telecommunicators are among the all-time great multi-taskers.
“If you think that answering phones and talking on the radio might not be so hard, then try doing that while keeping track of 12 police officers who are responding to 12 different calls,” Convery said.
Sometimes the telecommunicator’s job calls for calming an hysterical victim who can’t even remember where he or she lives while at the same time attempting to set priorities about what type of response the call merits.
“[They must also] determine which officer will be responding to the situation at hand and determine if the caller may need first aid,” Convery said. ” Add on the fact that you may have to spend time gathering information from six different sources and be responsible for the safety of each one. If this sounds stressful to you, you’re right – it can be.”
Technically speaking the Jackson Police Department telecommunicators are responsible for dispatching 911 calls and ensuring that an appropriate response is made while staying in contact with the victim to help ensure his safety.
Dispatchers are also responsible for all radio contact between all the divisions of the police department.
“They answer incoming calls to the Jackson Police Department’s main phone lines and deal with any emergencies,” Convery said.
The telecommunicators also look up warrants, driver information and any other information requested by police officers. They are also responsible for entering warrants, missing persons data and stolen vehicle information into the National Crime Information Computer system.
“Besides this, they must also send messages to other police agencies regarding wanted persons, lost and stolen property, and other criminal activity that occurs or is solved in Jackson,” Convery said. “This may seem like a lot of responsibility, but this is just a fraction of what the telecommunicator will do in the course of a day.”
Convery said the telecommunicator is the unseen face in the emergency reaction chain.
“They are the voice of reason and sanity in times of chaos,” the officer said. “They are the link between the public and the police officer responding to the call for assistance.”
Dispatchers are the people who have to remember not just where the call is located, but how many times the police have responded to a particular address, if there are any firearms listed at the residence, why the officers previously responded to that location and if any arrests were made during a previous response, Convery explained.
“I am currently a senior telecommunicator and have almost 19 years experience,” Musto said. “I have watched many changes over the years, from writing in a log book to handling three different computers at one time. Our responsibilities are complex and vast.”
Musto said to do her job she must be able to multitask.
“The position is stressful, demanding and rewarding,” she said. “The main objective of our position is officer safety and public safety.”
Russell said even though she has been a telecommunicator for almost 18 years, it is like a new job every day.
“The calls for service are never the same, each with a different outcome,” said Russell. “We are an important link between the officers and the community. It is an extremely important job and sometimes thankless.”
Russell said it is a good feeling to know she helped someone in crisis, even if it was only to listen.
“When the day is over and all of my officers are off the road safely, the rewards are tenfold in a personal and satisfying way,” Russell said. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
Telecommunicators maintain constant radio contact with police officers on the street. When an officer responds to a call the telecommunicator will constantly update him as to what is going on at the scene.
“They are expected to know what the officer needs before asking for it,” Convery said. “Then they must keep track to ensure the officer arrives at the call, receives any assistance he may need while there and continue that contact until the officer safely departs the call when finished.”
The job responsibilities call for a telecommunicator to not only hear what is said, but to also be aware of what is not said. To miss even the slightest innuendo can jeopardize an officer’s life.
No matter how busy the day and no matter how frantic the pace, he or she is always expected to be the bridge between panic and assurance.
“Most importantly, the telecommunicator is responsible for ensuring the safety of the public and making sure that no call for help goes unanswered,” Convery said. “[They are there] 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter how important the holiday or how bad the weather.”
The job requires a high school diploma plus two months of training by the police department. In addition, each dispatcher must attend basic telecommunications courses before taking a call. A dispatcher works an eight-hour shift.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a telecommunicator may contact Police Officer John Convery at (732) 928-1111.