DID YOU KNOW… Public Safety Dispatcher Facts:
They are the first, first responders performing a tough job that very few will ever understand. They can go from a routine administrative call to a full-blown emergency crisis in the milliseconds it takes to answer the next ringing phone line, never knowing what’s on the other end of a call until they hit the answer button. It takes a special person to be able to do their job, and we’re lucky to have some of the best right here in QAC to keep our citizens and communities safe. These dedicated professionals are the first line of defense when it comes to emergency response in our community.
Over the past year, the Queen Anne’s County Emergency Communications Center has fielded 66,939 calls in total. Out of those, there were 54,462 incoming calls (28,020 on emergency 911 lines, 18 on Text-to-911, and 26,424 on administrative lines) and 12,477 outgoing calls.
Queen Anne’s County employs 24 Public Safety Dispatchers (PSDs) that are split across 4 shifts, working a rotating schedule of 24-hours on-duty followed by 72-hours off. This schedule provides 24/7/365 coverage in the 911 center to handle emergency requests and after-hours administrative duties.
All PSD’s are cross trained in 3 disciplines; Call Taker, Fire Dispatcher and Police Dispatcher. This training includes CPR administration, childbirth instructions, how to administer medications including inhalers, epi-pens, Narcan and aspirin. They are also certified in providing pre-arrival instructions for everything from simple bleeding control to self-extrication from a submerged vehicle. Often the unsung heroes of emergency response these PSDs are the ones who remain calm and collected in the face of chaos, and who provide critical assistance to those in need.
They dispatch for the following public safety agencies:
Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff
Centreville Police Department
Queen Anne’s County Animal Control
Queen Anne’s County Emergency Medical Services
Kent Island VFD
Grasonville VFD
Queenstown VFD
Goodwill VFC
Church Hill VFC
Sudlersville VFC
Crumpton VFD
Queen Anne-Hillsboro VFC
United Communities VFD
As well as process after hours administrative calls and dispatch for:
Queen Anne’s County Sanitary District
As National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week comes to a close for 2023, we express our gratitude to the amazing Public Safety Dispatchers that work hard all hours of the day and night to keep the county safe. If anyone would like to learn more about our 911 Center by taking a tour contact Debra Hopkins at dhopkins@qac.org.