by Wesley Harris
“Shots fired! Shots fired!”
The patrol officer shrieked as he radioed in his location. Other officers acknowledged they were on the way.
It was 1979 and I was training a new dispatcher to take my place in the radio room so I could move on to a patrol officer position. The new guy sat frozen beside me, his face pale and stiff.
I sensed the electric tension in the air. I didn’t dare ask who was shooting at who or if it was just random gunfire. Got to keep the airwaves clear.
When the matter was resolved successfully with no injuries, I told the trainee that gunplay on the job was rare. But the incident served as a good example of the nature of the job on the late shift—hours of boredom laced with moments of terror. Both for officers and the dispatchers.
The trainee did not return the next night. The pressure was too much.
I spent two years as a dispatcher for the Ruston Police Department and another ten as a patrol officer, investigator, and supervisor. Dispatching was by far the most nerve-wracking.
It was also a thankless job. Bottom of the totem pole, as they say. Lowest paid position with the least power and influence in the department.
But sometimes the most responsibility.
Mostly working alone, the stress could be awful when three phone lines rang simultaneously with an officer screaming for help.
All the more reason to acknowledge local efforts this year to recognize National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Call it Dispatchers Week for short.
This week is a time to honor and thank dispatchers for their crucial role in emergency services. These professionals connect those in need with emergency resources and play a vital role in keeping our community safe.
Dispatchers, or formally “police communications officers” under Louisiana civil service, are often the first point of contact for individuals in emergencies, and their quick thinking and calm demeanor can save lives. They answer 911 calls, take walk-in reports and other referrals, and send out appropriate emergency services.
Ruston Police Chief Eric Watson said, “The dispatchers encounter a chaotic environment very often in the radio room. Multiple phones ringing, multiple officers calling in, it can be real chaos trying to keep up.”
“We wanted to recognize our dispatchers during this special week for their hard work, often under a great deal of pressure,” Watson said.
Watson said Nikki Edmiston, supervisor of the RPD communications crew, is an integral part of the RPD team and is involved in organizing the festivities of Dispatchers Week.
“This special week each year we decorate the radio room and prepare goodie bags for everyone,” Edmiston said. Other agencies—Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tech Police, Grambling Police—are also participating along with some of our businesses.”
“The officers take good care of us, too,” Edmiston, a 16-year RPD veteran said.
Edmiston said RPD dispatchers utilize a CAD system—computer-aided dispatch to keep up with calls and officers. They handle 911 and other phone lines, several radio frequencies, and dispatch fire and ambulance calls in the city.
Edmiston acknowledged she has also encountered new hires who couldn’t handle the pressure cooker the radio room often becomes.
Watson said Dilla’s Quesadillas Restaurant is donating dinner for all dispatchers tonight and he is personally donating cupcakes and cookies from a local bakery.
Ruston’s newest restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, is also joining the community spirit by donating meals to the dispatchers.
Referring to her team, Edmiston said, “We’ve become like a family. This is a big week for us.”
“The public has done more and more each year to support us during this week,” she said.
Dispatchers are the critical lifeline between those in need and those who can help. They deserve our respect and appreciation.
