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The last time I wrote, it was about the importance of the Hamilton County Jail and why a strong, properly staffed jail, with great leadership is such an important part of keeping our community safe.
But the jail is only one piece of the public safety puzzle. There is another part of our operation that works around the clock, often without proper recognition and is just as critical to protecting the people of Hamilton County.
The Hamilton County Dispatch Center.
Someone has to answer the phone. Someone has to listen. Someone has to determine what is happening. Someone must get the right people moving in the right direction. That someone is one of our many talented dispatchers. Those of you reading this probably know one of those dispatchers.
The Hamilton County Dispatch Center is the heartbeat of our public safety operation. When someone calls 911, they are often having one of the worst moments of their life. They may be scared, injured, or watching someone they love suffer. They may not know what to do. The dispatcher must be the one who does and they have to remain calm while figuring it out.
Our dispatchers are responsible for gathering critical information, determining what resources are needed, sending those resources, communicating with responders, monitoring calls, tracking units and continuing to provide information as situations develop. All the while someone else may be calling for the phone number to McDonald's or random park hours.
That is the reality of dispatch. It is controlled chaos and our dispatchers must be able to operate in the middle of it.
Just like we discussed with the jail, public safety is not something that can be turned on when it is convenient. It must be there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Someone must always answer the call.
When most of Hamilton County is sleeping, our dispatchers are working. When families are celebrating Christmas, they are working. When the weather is terrible, they are working. When everyone else is trying to get home, they are helping get emergency responders where they need to be.
They do not get to choose the calls they answer. They answer all of them. And some of those calls are difficult. They hear people crying. They hear people screaming. They hear the fear in someone’s voice. They hear everything. They sometimes hear things that most people will never experience in their entire lives. Then they must take a breath, put that call behind them and answer the next one.
That takes a special kind of person.
Dispatchers are also critical to the safety of our deputies, officers and other first responders. When a deputy is out on the road, dispatch is their connection to the rest of the world. Dispatch knows where they are, knows what call they are on and knows what is happening. When something goes wrong, dispatch can become the lifeline between that deputy and the help they need.
The same is true for the citizens we serve. When someone calls for help, they should not have to wonder whether someone will answer. They should not have to wonder whether the right resources will be sent. They should not have to wonder whether their information was heard.
They should know that someone is there. That is what our Dispatch Center provides. A connection. A response. A lifeline. Real voices in real situations.
As Sheriff, I believe strongly that we have a responsibility to make sure our dispatchers have the training, equipment, staffing and support they need to do their jobs.
Just like the jail, dispatch is not an area where we should simply try to do more with less. Our community deserves better than that. We have made significant investments in improving our dispatch operation because we understand what is at stake. Better training. Better coordination. Better staffing. Better technology. Better communication. All those things ultimately have one purpose. Keeping people safe.
The jail keeps dangerous individuals securely off our streets. Our deputies respond to calls and enforce the law. Our officers protect their communities. Our firefighters respond when people need them. Our EMS providers work to save lives.
And our dispatchers connect all of them. One system. One mission. Public safety.
I have said before that public safety is not about one person or one department. It is about having the right people in the right positions, giving them the tools they need and making sure they can work together.
The next time you hear a siren coming down the road, remember that the response started before that vehicle ever left the station.
It started with a voice. A dispatcher answered the phone. A dispatcher asking questions. A dispatcher sending help. A dispatcher stays calm when someone else cannot.
It may not always be the most visible part of public safety, but it is one of the most important.
The people working behind those consoles are protecting this county every single day. They are the first voice people hear when they need help. They are the connection between a citizen in crisis and the people coming to save them. They are the connection between our law enforcement and the support they need.
They are the heartbeat of our public safety system. They deserve our investment, our support and our respect. Because at the end of the day, this is not about buildings, equipment, radios, computers or phones. It is about people. It is about your family. My family. Our neighbors. Our children. Our community. And making sure that when someone in Hamilton County needs help, there is someone there to answer the call.
That is what public safety is about.
And that is why the Hamilton County Dispatch Center matters.