BILLINGS — Roughly 21,000 calls are made every month to the 911 communications center in Billings.
The dispatchers who handle these calls are being honored this week as part of the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Watch the full video below:
Dispatchers may not see the scene of the emergency, but they work tirelessly to ensure help arrives in a timely manner.
These dispatchers handle calls for the fire department, law enforcement, involving a wide range of emergencies.
“We take the hardest calls, CPR on a infant, shootings where you hear people’s last breaths. Anything could happen on the other end of that line, and you’re the one that hears it,” dispatcher Jordan Bauer said.
Andra Starr, another dispatcher, recalled a particularly difficult call involving a four-year-old girl.
“She had been drowned by her father in the bathtub,” Starr said.
She labeled it as one of the hardest calls she had experienced.
While taking calls may seem repetitive, every situation is unique. Bauer noted the variety of calls she gets.
“You know, giving instructions on how to birth a baby, or CPR on an infant, kind of changes between calls,” she explained.
Dispatchers strive to remain calm and supportive during every emergency call, reassuring callers that help is on the way.
Starr emphasized that small details can make a significant difference in getting help.
Bauer agreed.
“Call 911, give us the address, scream ‘I need help,’ and hang up. We’ll get somebody there as fast as we possibly can,” she said.
Once help arrives on scene, dispatchers often feel disconnected from the outcome.
“You’re not out there helping, and there’s only so much you can do,” Starr added.
Despite this challenge, both dispatchers agree that their work is meaningful.
“It definitely helps to know that what I did at work that day helps somebody else in their emergency,” Bauer said.
Last year, the dispatch center received about 269,000 calls.
