Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Most people never see some key personnel in the emergency response system - the dispatchers.
But this week, those important people are being recognized throughout the state. Gov. Mitch Daniels recently declared April 10-16 Public Safety Telecommunications Week in Indiana.
"They are unsung heroes," said Kosciusko Communications Director Tom Brindle. "They are the hub of everything that happens. It doesn't matter what happens, it comes through here (the Kosciusko County Central Dispatch).
"From a tornado to a bad accident to a drowning to a lost child, whatever happens, that first call comes here. (The dispatchers) have the initial contact with everything."
From the humorous to the tragic, dispatchers are trained to keep their composure and remain calm in all situations. They are the bridge from the callers to the emergency responders.
"These are the people who contact the proper emergency personnel," said Brindle. "These are people emergency services rely on to direct them to the proper house. That's what makes them special. They are the heroes behind the scenes. Without them, (emergency personnel) would not get to the scene."
After Kosciusko County dispatchers receive the initial call for an incident, they contact the proper agencies to respond. Those agencies include any emergency response unit in Kosciusko County with the exception of Syracuse, which has its own dispatch center. In emergency situations, the Kosciusko County Dispatch Center also can handle calls from surrounding counties.
Between March 27 and April 11, 44,127 calls, including both telephone and radio, came into the dispatch center. From March 6 to 27, 60,248 calls were answered. All calls in the dispatch center are recorded.
Answering tens of thousands of calls per week, the dispatchers in Kosciusko County work with some of the top technology available.
"We are one of the leaders in the nation right now," said Brindle. "Our technology ranks in the top 2 percent in the nation."
An example of that technology is the center's ability to locate cellular telephone users who call. Mobile telephones from seven cellular carriers can be located using the dispatch center's technology.
Newer cellular telephones from Sprint PCS, Nextel, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and AT&T have a GPS chip embedded in the handset so the user may be located within 50 meters 67 percent of the time. Those callers can be found within 150 meters 95 percent of the time.
Cellular services T-Mobile and Centennial Wireless use a network solution to help locate callers. Using a triangulation, the technology uses signals from three towers surrounding the caller to get an approximate location. With the network system, callers can be located within 100 meters 67 percent of the time and within 300 meters 95 percent of the time.
The Kosciusko County Dispatch Center also is one of the top centers in the state. Since Kosciusko County converted to a central dispatch system in 2000, several other counties such as Miami have used the system as a model. Miami, DeKalb and Cass counties have toured and trained at the Kosciusko County Dispatch Center.
Dispatchers in Kosciusko County must take a 40-hour basic course as well as pass and maintain certification every two years. Many also have taken an eight-week course with a certified training officer. They also are required to participate in continuos education programs periodically.
"They must be able to multi-task, have computer knowledge, be able to pass and maintain emergency medical certification and CPR/AED certification," said Brindle. "They are the first line in any critical situation, so they must be able to give instructions to the caller."
Those instructions include basic first aid and critical care tips.
"This is a job someone has to want to do," said Brindle. "When we hire, we look for someone who truly wants to do the job. It takes two years of training before a person is truly comfortable in the job."
