Cheyenne County Set to Dispatch Deuel County

The decision was made and approved. The proper officials met to determine how to make it happen. All that is left is to put the parts in motion. Dispatchers are ready to talk to new residents and first responders as their territory of influence has greatly expanded.

The Cheyenne County Communications Board and the county commissioners were approached earlier this spring about dispatching services for Deuel County. At the time, Deuel County agencies were dispatched by Kimball County. In the April 16 meeting, Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub said Deuel County was in “somewhat of a critical position.”

The Cheyenne County Commissioners, communications board and Sidney City Council approved the agreement with the City of Sidney paying 61.75 percent of the monthly costs of the dispatch center, Cheyenne County 33.25 percent and Deuel County responsible for 5 percent of the costs.

Communications Director Heidi Gillespie recently said the transition to dispatching Deuel County agencies is going well. The process did require adding a couple of radios to the dispatch center to accommodate Deuel County. The dispatch office also has the asset of local knowledge, Gillespie said.

Smaller communities are known for people who describe locations by landmarks tied to memories or emotions, significance that likely won’t show on a legal map. Maps label roads as “County Road 7” and “Interstate 80,” not “the next road north of the Old Smith Place.” The Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and staff with knowledge of Deuel County allows dispatch services to be more effective.

Gillespie says she doesn’t expect a change in dispatch center staffing. She added the center is currently fully staffed. All of the staff have at least three years of experience. The State of Nebraska does not have training requirements for dispatchers. However, Gillespie requires a minimum of 12 hours annual training. Training includes online programs through professional organizations, dispatch management and how to multi-task effectively when receiving calls, and how to process medical calls. The dispatch center has a web-based medical program that assists dispatchers with medical calls. She said a lot of the training is related to call taking and how to gather the most important information as quick as possible.

“We work on speed and efficiency, without losing critical contact,” she said.

When 911 is needed, it is important to remember to keep the call to important details, even though it is an emotional moment, according to Gillespie.

“We work on calming techniques, how people respond,” she said.

She added dispatchers try to work on keeping callers as calm as possible.

She reminds people dispatchers ask the caller’s location early in the conversation because of its importance. She said an increasing percent of people use cellular phones and are doing away with the landline. The challenge for the dispatcher is not all cellular phones will show the dispatcher the caller’s location.

“Our best resource is the caller,” she said.