Behind the Call

Every day, 911 telecommunicators are the first point of contact in moments of crisis. They are the calm voices guiding us through emergencies, providing immediate support and coordinating the swift response of emergency services. Their role is vital, often demanding quick thinking, empathy, and a steady presence in the face of adversity.

While the 911 TCO's are often the most heard of emergency communication services, there are many other dedicated employees who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the system runs smoothly.

Our 911 staff are more than just the voices on the other end of the line; they are our lifeline, our protectors, and they play an indispensable role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. It is their dedication and unwavering commitment that enable first responders to act swiftly and efficiently, saving countless lives.

Contributor: Ruth Shear

We have started a new five-week campaign called "Teach Them Tuesday", which will give families five great activities that they can do to learn about emergency situations, and calling 911. Teaching children how to call 911 is an essential skill that can make a crucial difference in emergencies. It's important to ensure they understand when and how to make the call. Here is a list of activities that we have shared in June.

911 Simon Says

Objective:

To teach kids the steps to take during an emergency 911 call.

How to Play:

Materials Needed: None.

Setup: Familiarize yourself with basic emergency procedures.

Instructions:

Play a game of "Simon Says," incorporating emergency actions.

Example commands: “Simon says, check if the person is breathing,” “Simon says, call 911,” or “Simon says, stay calm.”

Discuss why each step is important after the game.

911 Role Play

Objective:

To help children understand when and how to call 911.

How to Play:

• Materials Needed: Toy phone or a real phone with the battery removed.
• Setup: Create different role-playing scenarios, such as a fire, someone feeling sick, or a stranger at the door.
• Instructions:
• Assign roles to each child (e.g., dispatcher, caller, witness).
• Act out various emergency situations.
• Encourage children to practice what they would say during a 911 call, including stating their name, location, and the nature of the emergency.

911 Emergency Relay

Objective:

To emphasize the importance of quick and correct responses during emergencies.

How to Play:

• Materials Needed: Obstacle course setup or markers for different emergency stations.
• Setup: Arrange a series of stations, each representing a different emergency task (e.g., locating a phone, dialing 911, describing an emergency).
• Instructions:
• Divide children into teams.
• Have them race through the course, correctly completing each task before moving to the next.
• Discuss what they learned and how they can apply it in real life.

911 Bingo

Objective:

To reinforce knowledge about emergencies and the 911 process.

How to Play:

• Materials Needed: Bingo cards with emergency-related terms (e.g., “Fire,” “Police,” “Ambulance,” “Stay calm”).
• Setup: Create Bingo cards with a mix of terms and actions related to calling 911.
• Instructions:
• Call out scenarios or emergency terms.
• Children mark their cards accordingly.
• Discuss each term when it appears on the board.

911 Emergency Match:

Objective:

To familiarize children with different types of emergencies and appropriate responses.

How to Play:

• Materials Needed: Index cards or paper with pictures and descriptions of emergencies and corresponding responses.
• Setup: Create pairs of cards with an emergency scenario on one card and the correct response on the matching card.
• Instructions:
  • Mix the cards and lay them face down.
  • Have children take turns flipping two cards at a time to find matching pairs.
  • Encourage discussion about why the response is appropriate for the given emergency.

By booking a PSC 911 Education visit, groups can equip themselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle emergencies effectively!

Contributor: Amber Walker

Greetings PSC Family,

First and foremost, please join me in congratulating Tori on the completion of her EMS and Fire dispatch training! She began her EMS and Fire training journey in April and has since progressed to independently handling dispatch responsibilities. Great work, Tori! Congratulations on reaching this milestone!

As part of this month’s professional development efforts, our telecommunicators completed refresher training focused on Culture in the Communications Center and Morale in the Communications Center. These courses reinforce the importance of a positive workplace environment and effective team dynamics. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to professional growth. Your dedication helps strengthen our team and the service we provide every day.

TCO: Tori M.

Contributor: Carina Cordova

JUNE 2026 TECHNICAL SERVICES

COMPLETED PROJECTS:

· Tech Services added a 3rd monitor to the PSC conference room.

UPCOMING PROJECTS:

· 911 PC & Marvlis Monitor replacements.

ELECTIONS:

· Ricky assisted with the setup, maintenance, and processing of elections voting equipment on June 9 & 23.

TRAINING:

· Ricky, Carina, and Devyn received hands-on radio activation training that requires access to several systems.

· Jorge attended the APCO AFC/IWA Technical Services training in Daytona Beach, FL. which covered two highly specialized courses—General Communication Technician (GCT) Level 2 and Radio Interference, equipping him with critical knowledge and hands-on experience essential for supporting and maintaining reliable emergency communications systems.

We are so happy to be recognizing, Jordan, as our new "D" Shift Supervisor! As an amazing telecommunicator, Jordan, has been on the job for over 9 years and serving as assistant supervisor over the last two years. We are confident that she will continue to be great!

We held our 3rd annual "Dispatcher Health Day" this month in partnership with Invision Diagnostics! We booked every mammogram appointment with our first responders as well as other first responders and county employees. It's exciting to be able to provide this vital service!

PSC Recently participated in the county "May the 4th Be with You" what is your why-department contest for Public Service Recognition Week. We were happy to win for the Most Inspiring Purpose of Service category! We love our community and we love what we do!

Chocolate makes TCO, Spencer, happy!