911 Dispatchers

When I found an airplane crash I called 911 and got the airhead of all time.

    Did you ever wonder how a person becomes qualified to be a 911 dispatcher? Sometimes when I call the police or 911, I have to wonder, “Did I wake this person from their afternoon nap?”
   Several months ago while traveling down the Oklahoma Turnpike, my scanner locked on the air guard frequency, strong signal. I stopped the truck on the side of the road at the top of a little hill.  

   I got out my hand held radio and took a bearing on the signal. I then drove about a mile and stopped at the top of the next hill and took another bearing. I then drew in the lines on Street Atlas and determined where the signal was coming from. I made note of the nearest road, name of the town and put the radio in the charger for a quick charge while I put fresh batteries in my GPS and put on my combat boots. I dialed 911 on my cell phone and got the airhead who was working dispatch.
“911, what’s your emergency?” she asked.
“My name is…. I’m on the Oklahoma Turnpike at mile… I’m receiving an emergency locator transmitter. I believe there is an aircraft down approximately .75 mile north of this location. I need to speak to the rescue squad in the town of…”
“What?”
“What didn’t you understand?” I asked. I’ve done dispatching. I know that people get excited and you have trouble understanding them. When I call for help I try to be accurate and concise. I should have just asked for the rescue squad instead of trying to explain this to the 911 operator.
“Can you put me through to the dispatcher for the rescue squad in the town of…”
“What’s your emergency?” she asked.
“I’m receiving an ELT. I believe there is an aircraft crash near the town of…”
“A what?” she asked
“$hit!” I had my boots on. I grabbed a couple of power bars, a bottle of water, my compass, GPS, HT, and set off on a heading toward the signal. “I think there is an aircraft crash. I’m hiking toward the area where I think it is. Can you alert the rescue squad?”
“Do you have an address?” she asked.
   I wanted to scream. While tying my bootlaces, did I twist my tongue? Is my tongue getting in the way of my eyeteeth, and she can’t see what I’m saying? I doubled timed for about a hundred yards. Now I’m panting into the phone. “I can give you GPS coordinates or heading and distance from a known location. I don’t know the address.” I panted. I was trying to catch my breath. “Call the rescue squad. Get me a frequency and PL tone. I have VHF and UHF FM capability. Get me their frequency and tone.” I should have known better.
“What?”
   I disconnected. I scrolled down to find the tower entry in my phone for the local airport I flew out of in Massachusetts. I pressed send.
"Tower.”
“Hi, Paul. I’m in Oklahoma. I’m picking up an ELT from North 36 degrees some minutes by West 95 degrees some other minutes. I didn’t have much luck with the local 911 dispatcher.” I told Paul.
“I’m on the phone with Tulsa, stand by one.” A short pause, “You there?” he asked.
“Almost! I’m hiking in, ten minutes if I don’t die.” I told Paul.
“Heavy rescue from the town of…is in route. Pace yourself old fart, I’ll stay on the line.” Paul told me.
   Soon I could see the empennage of the Cessna. “I’ve got a Cessna sticking out of the ground, Paul. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Fine business,” (ham radio term, meaning fine business.) “Tulsa has FAA in route, stay with me.”
“Cessna one eight two, two occupants one survivor, female, forty, I hear sirens. Thanks Paul.”
“Come up or call when you get to town, over.” The phone went dead.
   The woman did everything right, seat locked full aft, starboard door open before impact. She would have walked away if her knees had supported her.
   I’m a firm believer that police, fire, and public service radio dispatchers should hold at least a technician class amateur radio license so as to have a working knowledge of radio, instead of just sitting down in front of the thing and not knowing anything about it.

   Back to the question, How does a person qualify to be a 911 dispatcher?

Sometimes they don’t.

 

Reviews

[mrowepat]

Good thing you were there Otter. It's a comfort to know there are smart people out there in the world of the mentally challenged. You knew exactly what to do and how to get it done. Just one question.... Did you have your Ka-Bar handy? Haha!! Just kidding.

Good write and very interesting.