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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
July 30, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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July 30, 2020
 
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MACECOM’s 911 dispatchers have to be adept at multitasking tesy of MACECOM to monitor multiple screens, answer calls and coordinate police response. Photo cour- ‘A calmvoice in the chaos’ ECOM to keep Mason County, She/ton communities safe ~ By Isabella Breda isabe/la@masoncountycom With multiple computer screens flashing rapidly changing information on the locations of emergency units and a list of active incidents, dispatch- ers answer 911 and non-emergency calls and coordinate the appropriate response from police, fire or emergency medical units. , For 14-year veteran 911 dispatcher a, Carrie Robson, this level of multitask- ing is second nature. ll'a’ mm! in at}. in {ho rm'm'numly lo!“ all .\ our wuppuri. \Vc‘n' l law for You and mu .‘l:~.‘:§LlH' you ll'im’ we will lu'vlollnwuu: all (“M guuhlmcs lirz'llllli) if). o EmRRes Humian moment “Some callers just lost loved ones, we get calls from people feeling sui- cidal, any kinds of situations like that even in domestic violence situations,” Robson said. “We have to be a calm voice in the chaos. It becomes some- thing we’re just able to do because we’ve been so well-trained.” MACECOM connects 911 callers with a response from agencies includ- ing Shelton Police, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Mason County Fire Departments spanning from Matlock to North Mason Regional Fire Author- ity and Washington State Patrol. Dis- patchers also answer calls from media organizations or concerned citizens on MACECOM’s nonemergency line. MACECOM Deputy Executive Di- rector Mike Rawlings said many of MACECOM’S dispatchers sought the Physical Therapists Occupational Therapists Speech Language Pathology Specialists Inpatient Outpatient Therapy 15’3jol'ms Court (360) 427-2575 Wsheltonhcalthanolrehalocom 33372 position because they were drawn to a career, of service. “Because our dispatchers work a lot of hours, on holidays birthdays, or cancel plans to cover for someone who’s sick, they need to be dedicated,” Rawl- ings said. “It’skind of a lifestyle.” Dispatcherswork 12-hour shifts, ei- ther from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 6 am. ' Robson said there’s adraw to work- ing long hours —— as a means to give back to the community. After undergoing months of train- ing, dispatchers become more com- fortable in their ability to handle any emergency call on their own, but Rob- son said most of the time, it’s a team effort. , “We have to get there 15 minutes prior to our shift so the last shift can oCommunity Resources ~Medicare Savings Programs 360-427-2226 Area Agency on Aging Help for Seniors' ' We are here to answer your questions about: Fundlng provlded by the Federal Older Amerlcans An and the State of Washlngmn tell us what happened and give us an idea of what to expect,” Robson said. “When you get a call, y0u have part- ners sitting next to you — you’re all helping each other.” MACECOM is currently hiring dis- patchers. Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a, high school diploma or GED. Because of the highly confidential nature of the interactions involved in the job, all dispatchers must undergo a psychological examination and pass a criminal background check. “something I tell people is while working this job,’I know what a bad day is,” Robson said. “It gives me a lot of perspective; I appreciate my loved ones even more because I’ve seen others, go through tragedies. I have a unique em— pathy for people in the world.” Popular Potlatch With temperatures reaching - into the 903, Potlatch State Park attracts a crowd Sunday. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks oTransportation Options oMedicaid Services LMTAAA.org