The Lincoln County Communications Center goes quiet for a second and the three on-duty dispatchers stop for a well deserved bite to eat. Before fork can be brought to mouth, the phones start ringing off the hook.
“As a dispatcher you have to get used to getting interrupted,” said Teresa Grenier, of Wiscasset, an eight year veteran at the Center.
After the call has been taken and the appropriate agency sped to its needed location, the dispatchers return to their meals.
“We’re not used to eating hot meals,” said Joe Westrich, of Wiscasset, a 17-year dispatcher and supervisor.
He recalled how his daughter once asked him why he ate so fast.
“I told her ‘We’re going on vacation soon. There you can teach me to eat slow,'” said Westrich.
Though it was a Saturday night, the Communications Center was fortunate to receive only a moderate volume of calls.
“It’s kind of hit or miss, “said Grenier, noting that the most high volume days are the weekends in the summer.
Bobbie Robinson, of Waldoboro, a dispatcher at the Communications Center for 25 years (“Bobby was here when they had tin cans and string,” Westrich jokes), noted that any day can be entirely unpredictable.
“It can go from zero to holy s-t in two and a half seconds,” said Robinson. “When it goes bad, it goes really bad.”
When the high risk calls come in, however, the Communications Center is ready. Each call station is equipped with no less than five computer screens replete with information vital for any emergency call.
The centerpiece of the system is CAD, Computer Assisted Dispatch. CAD gives the dispatcher the ability to instantaneously send any emergency vehicle to its destination while allowing him or her to simultaneously monitor every vehicle currently available for dispatch.
All calls are traced and recorded. Calls from cell phones can easily be located on a digital top down map.
“The mapping is a God-send,” said Grenier.
The system also has a digital protocol program that helps dispatchers help a caller through dozens of possible situations, from heart attack to homicide.
“You’re constantly giving info as you get it,” said Westrich.
Dispatchers also go through daily mock calls to test preparedness, and some calls are reviewed by a supervisor to help improve effectiveness.
“Your training doesn’t stop,” said Westrich.
Each dispatcher has their horror stories, from a suicide they were unable to stop or a child that would not revive after CPR. Some have even had to dispatch emergency vehicles for their own families.
These tales are a part of life in the Communication Center. Every call is unique, an urgent cry for help, a pet owner looking for his lost dog, or even the irritating ramblings of the infamous “frequent flyers,” people who consistently dial in to the Communications Center for the most inane things.
“I haven’t seen everything and I don’t want to,” said Robinson.
According to Robinson, the emotional connection between the caller and the dispatcher is immediate. A dispatcher at the Communications Center is with the caller every step of the way, even helping them contact a funeral home or minister in the event of an untimely death.
“You have really emotionally charged calls where they pull you off the desk,” said Robinson.
According to Robinson, it sometimes becomes difficult to maintain a professional distance between the dispatcher and the caller. Such a distance, however, is vital.
“You have to maintain a separation or you die in this job,” said Robinson.
Not everyone has what it takes to be a dispatcher at the Communications Center: the job requires organization, the ability to multi task, adapt, and most importantly, communicate with clarity and compassion.
“Not everyone is cut out for the job,” said Grenier, “You’re dealing with people who are not themselves.”
All three dispatchers on duty noted that when someone calls in to ask for help, they’re often hysterical.
“The last thing they think we are is a dispatcher,” said Craig Balsdon, of Boothbay, who replaced Teresa Grenier during Aug. 28 late night shift.
“Nobody calls us for a good day,” said Westrich.
Through the rigors of their work, the 13 employees at the Communication Center have formed a close-knit family.
“I love my job,” said Grenier, “We’re one big family.”
“We rely on each other,” said Westrich.
After a particularly difficult call, or a conversation with a “frequent flyer,” those on duty will often discuss the matter or lighten the mood with humor.
“We have a black, sick sense of humor,” said Robinson, looking up at a plaque overlooking the Communications Center that reads simply, “You don’t have to be crazy to work here, we train you.”
