Saving lives: one call at a time
Apr. 17—National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW) is an annual event that recognizes the dedication of the 911 community. It honors the vital role 911 telecommunicators play in responding to emergencies in homes, schools and on roadways, providing critical life-saving services every day in Huntsville and Walker County. This year's NPSTW falls April 14-20.
The Walker County Public Safety Communications Center (WCPSCC) is a combined Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP)/Emergency Dispatch Center formed by an interlocal government agreement between the City of Huntsville and County of Walker in 1997. The center began operations in April of 2000.
Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae took the opportunity to personally thank the dispatchers and entire center staff for all their hard work.
"They have a huge responsibility and do such a great job everyday," Sheriff McRae said. "They all hear about the worst day of our lives by a radio and dispatch help whether it is the fire department, police, or deputies."
McRae added that every officer on the other side of those radios wouldn't be able to return home safely without the center.
Assistant Communications Director Anthony Tryon, ENP, explained that the center dispatches and coordinates communications for 27 local, state and federal agencies within Walker County.
"The center is unique in that it is multi-disciplined — Law, Fire, EMS, multi-jurisdictional consolidated Emergency Communications Center that is not a part of its served agencies, nor a 9-1-1 District," Tryon said. "Instead it is governed by an executive board made up of City and County government representatives and receives policy direction from its advisory board made up of its allied agencies."
In 2023, WCPSCC averaged nearly 400 phone calls a day, resulting in over 100,000 individual dispatches.
"Our mission is to ensure the safety of all law enforcement agencies, fire departments, EMS and the general public by providing necessary information in an expedient, professional and courteous manner," said Tryon.
"We are providing emergency communications services with respect for all. We provide such assistance with professionalism and without prejudice or bias. And we continue to further our knowledge to the benefit all citizens and agencies that we serve."
The center's values are honor, integrity, professionalism and courteous.
Huntsville Police Assistant Chief Jim Barnes also took time to express his thoughts.
"We're very proud of our dispatchers, whose calm guidance and quick thinking help keep our community safe," said Asst. Chief Barnes.
The center has a diverse staff that consists of: — Communications Director — Responsible for leadership and management of the Center. Establishes the strategic direction in collaboration and approval of the WCPSCC Executive Board. Establishes Policies, provides visions to guide the development of the Center. That role is filled by Deborah Wilkinson, with 30 years experience, who holds a Communications Manager Certification, Master Telecommunicator, and Communications Supervisor. — Communications Assistant Director — Assists the director in managing the day to day operations of the Center. Leads the Quality and Development team made of Trainer/Evaluators and Quality Improvement Specialists. Acts as Systems Administrator for all technologies. Anthony J. Tryon, ENP, with 27 years of experience, holds Communications Manager Certification, Emergency Number Professional, Communications Unit Leader, Communications Technician, Master Telecommunicator,
Communications Supervisor, Communications Training Officer, TCOLE Instructor, DPS Associate Trainer, Advanced CTO, Emergency Dispatch Quality Improvement Specialist. — Communications Supervisors (2) — Assigns, Supervises, and Reviews work of operational staff. Evaluates performance of PSTs and makes recommendations. Coordinates scheduling and ensures staffing minimums are met. Analyzes incidents and establishes course of actions. Participates in the training and/or evaluation of operations staff. The two supervisors include Stephanie Harris, 30 years of experience, holds the following certifications — Master Telecommunicator, Communications Supervisor, Communications Training Officer, TCOLE Instructor, DPS Associate Trainer, Advanced CTO; and Rachel Barak, 14 years of experience, holds the following certifications — Master Telecommunicator, Communications Supervisor, Communications Training Officer. — Communications Specialists (4) — Senior staff members proven to have the knowledge, experience and initiative to perform complicated tasks that often change quickly without loss of efficiency. Carries out duties independently and requires minimum supervision. Participates in the training and/or evaluation of operations staff. The four specialists include Ja'Meka S., 7 years of experience, holding Advanced Telecommunicator, Communications Training Officer, Emergency Dispatch Quality Improvement Specialist; and Laura C., 11 years of experience, holding Master Telecommunicator, Communications Training Officer. — Public Safety Telecommunicator (9) — Directly answers emergency (9-1-1) and non-emergency calls as well as dispatching (Law, Fire and EMS) using radio and other technologies. They include:
Kassi H. 3 Years Intermediate Telecommunicator
Adalee C. 2 Years Basic Telecommunicator
Taylor G. 2 Years Basic Telecommunicator
Kaitlyn F. 6 Years Intermediate Telecommunicator
Cynthia C. 6 Years Advanced Telecommunicator, CTO
Mayosha D. 15 Years Master Telecommunicator, Communications Training Officer
Katy M. 6 Years Advanced Telecommunicator, Communications Training Officer
Megan B. 2 Years Basic Telecommunicator.
Contact Brenda Poe at editor@itemonline.com
