Celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Part two: An overview of Logan County 911 Dispatch Center

 

[April 13, 2021] 

Today, Logan County Dispatch Operations Manager Rebecca Langley provides the history and future of the emergency call center that connects citizens and emergency responders.

Logan Dispatch was founded in 2004. Prior to the formation of Logan Dispatch the city of Lincoln and Logan County would hire their own dispatchers or those positions were filled by law enforcement personnel. Logan Dispatch consolidated the entities as one under the governance of the Emergency Telephone Systems Board (ETSB).

Logan Dispatch started with eight full-time professional trained dispatchers, one supervisor, a director and deputy director of both EMA (Emergency Management Agency) and 911. Then in 2019 an ordinance was passed, and Logan Dispatch became a department under the Sheriff’s Office.

Today, the department has eight full time telecommunicator positions, two floor supervisor positions, a 911 coordinator and an operations manager. The 911 coordinator primarily deals with equipment and acts as liaison to the Emergency Telephone Systems Board (ETSB). The operations manager manages the personnel and the daily operation of the Emergency Communications Center.

The State of Illinois mandates that all Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) answering emergency medical calls must be certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). In 2005, Logan Dispatch started using Priority Dispatch to fulfil that mandate. All telecommunicators are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) and are licensed through the Illinois Department of Public Health to preform emergency medical dispatch services and go through Memorial Health Systems as our medical provider. Logan County telecommunicators must recertify with IAED every two years and relicense every four years with Illinois Department of Public Health.

The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) is a unified system used to dispatch appropriate aid to medical emergencies including systematized caller interrogation and pre-arrival instructions. Priority Dispatch MPDS includes 36 protocols - each built by experts, backed by science, and tested over time - that reduce complexity and risk. The system has over 40 years of the emergency protocols being used and, in the U.S., alone 153 of the top 200 most populous cities use it. Priority Dispatch MPDS offers the full package; structured emergency medical call taking, training, certification, and continuing education, and quality assurance and improvement program.

Logan Dispatch has utilized this protocol through the use of card sets kept at each dispatch position in the communicators center.

Langley said, “However, with advancements in technology we are proud to announce that we will be implementing Priority Dispatch's ProQA Dispatch Software later this year.”

ProQA integrates the power of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch protocols with today's critical computer technologies. ProQA will allow our Telecommunicators to move smoothly through questioning, quickly identify determinant codes that are provided to responders, and then guides them through relevant post-dispatch and pre-arrival instructions. “We are excited to work with Priority Dispatch to implement this upgrade and look forward to how it will benefit not only the way we preform our jobs but the service we provide for the citizens of Logan County,” Langley said.

[Rebecca Langley, Operations Manager, Logan Dispatch]

Today’s helpful tips come from Sydney Zamora and Suzi Gasparini and both focus on one topic.


Sydney Zamora

Lots of people believe that when they dial 911, the dispatcher on the other end of the line automatically knows their location. Like anything else, technology on our end can fail and it is always best to keep an eye on your surroundings. If you have a Smart Phone and are stuck in a situation where you do not know your location, you can open your Google and type "where am I?" and Google should give your location and you can pass that on to the emergency telecommunicator.

Also, with recent changes to area codes in our area there has been some concern as to whether you need to dial an area code ahead of dialing 9-1-1. There is no need to dial an area code prior to 9-1-1. When calling from a landline you will automatically be connected to your local Emergency Dispatch Center. When calling from a cell phone it depends on what cell phone tower you hit as to what Emergency Dispatch Center you reach. Just advise the Emergency Telecommunicator of your location and they can transfer to the appropriate Emergency Dispatch Center.



Suzi Gasparini

Location, location, location is not only important in real estate. It is also singularly the most important piece of information you can provide in any emergency. Your location can determine what jurisdiction you are in and therefore what agency will respond to your emergency. We cannot send you help if we do not know where you are. We have several tools at Logan Dispatch that we can use to help us verify your location but with technology it can always have its faults. So, we rely on you, the caller, to let us know where the emergency is located. You the caller are our most important tool, and the location is the most important information.

In Logan County the rural roadways are set up in a grid. “Streets” run east/west, while “avenues” run north/south. Therefore, it is important to know if you are on a street or an avenue. Advising of the wrong one can mean a difference of several miles or the complete opposite side of the county.

We know reporting an emergency situation is stressful and we are here to help you. The best thing you can do is remain calm, answer our questions, and follow the instructions we provide.