Whenever you have an emergency you know that if you call 9-1-1, help will be on the way. Most often, people just take the time to think the front-line responders, but they don’t realize all of the work it takes behind the scenes to get them there.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) dispatchers work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are part psychologists, part support system and 100 percent unsung heroes.
Every year those heroes are recognized during the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International’s National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This year’s event runs from April 6-12. The event was created to honor and recognize those who dedicate their lives to serving the public.
In 2013, MDFR dispatchers moved to a new home in our headquarters in Doral. The dispatch center is 5,300-square-feet, giving dispatchers more work space. The new center boasts state-of-the-art communications equipment for regional fire rescue dispatch, command and control. This new evolution in interoperability communications readies the dispatchers and firefighters for the next generation of technology.
The Miami-Dade Police Department receives 9-1-1- calls first. Then requests for fire suppression and emergency medical services (EMS) get transferred to MDFR. Dispatchers play a critical role, as they are the point of contact between the public and field units.
Dispatchers jump into action as soon as a call is received. Like an orchestra, the dispatchers take on the role of the conductor. They locate where the incident is happening, see what units are closest to the scene, and evaluate how many units need to be dispatched.
When dealing with significant events, such as a brush fire, dispatchers go into overdrive. More than one dispatcher will handle a call of this magnitude. Each dispatcher takes on a different role. One will handle dispatching the units, while another will see where additional units are located in case they are needed and will communicate with other agencies. A third dispatcher will make calls to move units so that every part of Miami-Dade County is covered to respond to calls.
With their quick thinking, fire-rescue dispatchers significantly contribute to the reduction of deaths and loss of property by effectively coordinating emergency responses. On average, dispatchers process more than 230,000 fire and EMS calls a year.
All of the behind-the-scenes contributions that dispatchers make truly make them unsung heroes in our community.