911: First of the first responders

They are the first of the first responders. A sign on the door says so.

Inside Douglas County's 911 Dispatch Center in Minden is an atmosphere Richard Mirgon likes to describe as "controlled chaos."

From a bank of computer screens and consoles, dispatchers and supervisors answer calls for help with calm reassurance for the panicky mother or the cold, lost snowboarder on the other end of the line.

"It's a tough job," said Mirgon, director of technology services. "You need to have a very specific type of personality."

Mirgon said the stress level is higher for dispatchers than law enforcement or fire and emergency personnel.

"The way I explain it is if you were a sheriff's deputy out on an accident and somebody came up and tapped you on the shoulder and said, 'Come on. I need your help, too,'" Mirgon said.

To be a 911 dispatcher, Mirgon is looking for a candidate who is "intelligent, loves to juggle multiple things at the same time and loves the adrenaline rush."

New employees are paired with an experienced dispatcher for six months of training and have another six-month probationary period.

"Something in this technology changes every day," Mirgon said. "We're training constantly."

The county employs 16 dispatchers and three supervisors, and recruitment is ongoing.

Turnover is high among trainees, but Mirgon said the division has a 9 percent turnover among more seasoned dispatchers which is low.

"We've had Ph.D.s in here, people with master's degrees who didn't stay," Mirgon said. "Maybe they weren't suited to the multitasking, or it was talking to the mother whose baby died. That's a tough one to take home," Mirgon said.

Two dispatchers, Marilyn Munoz and Ken Davis, have passed the 20-year mark which is unusual in the high-stress job.

"It's a proud accomplishment in such a tough environment," Mirgon said.

Davis received his 20-year award from Douglas County commissioners April 3. Munoz has been a dispatcher for 21 years.

Both are planning to retire this summer, pushed into the decision by the radical change in the state's retirement package.

"I would have liked to stay two or three more years," Munoz said. "I like my coworkers."

Davis came to the center after retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard.

He admitted he's ready to retire.

"I've noticed as I get older, the stress starts affecting me," he said.

Davis has had three heart attacks, two occurring while he was at work.

"Both times, they hauled me out of dispatch," he said. "I placed my own call for help."

Why did he stay so long?

"I just don't believe in giving up on something," he said.

He recalled a Saturday afternoon in December 2005 when two Douglas County sheriff's deputies were shot at a Harrah's Tahoe casino nightclub.

"It was just at the end of my shift and I heard, 'Shots fired. I've been hit.' You just go into automatic. I could hear the shots in the background. In 18 years, I never had that happen," he said.

Two officers were wounded in an exchange with a suicidal gunman who died at the scene. The deputies recovered from their wounds.

"This is an exciting job," Davis said. "A lot of times, it can be really fun. I love just to talk to people. They call me 'Mr. Social.'"

Davis said it can be tough to handle emergencies from people he knows, but it's inevitable in a small community.

One dispatcher took a call from her own baby-sitter after her son was bitten by a dog, he said.

Audit recommendations

A comprehensive, internal performance analysis of the dispatch center made several recommendations including equipment upgrades, increased training, changes in work shifts and additional personnel.

Mirgon agreed with many of the recommendations, but pointed out the county would need an additional $500,000-$750,000 to make the changes.

"It's almost sad," Mirgon told county commissioners April 3. "We recognize we need more help for our 'first of the first' responders. It's a stressful job. To say they need help and we can't provide it is a sad fact."

Mirgon said he would "pursue aggressively" recommendations that don't cost money.

Public safety dispatchers are recognized nationwide this week during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Mirgon said the dispatchers' "clients" usually stop by during the week to visit the crew that takes their calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The center serves Douglas County Sheriff's Office, East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts, Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, Washoe Tribal Police and Alpine County sheriff, fire and medical.

They also take nonemergency calls for the sheriff's office, animal control and general improvement districts during nonbusiness hours.

"I tell new people if you can walk out the door at the end of your shift, and nobody is any worse off than they were when you got the call, you've done a good job," Mirgon said. "These people save people's lives."

HAVE YOU GOT THE STUFF?

Responsibilities and minimum qualifications for 911 dispatchers:

n Responsible for operating sophisticated, computer-controlled radio, telephone and 9-1-1 equipment, computer-assisted dispatching software, and be able to receive and transmit information and instructions to emergency responders;

n Must be able to prioritize, evaluate and relay critical information in high-stress, fast-paced environment;

n Required to work rotating shifts, weekends and holidays;

n Two years of college, two years prior public safety experience or four years experience with heavy public contact in a h high-stress environment;

n Must possess or have the ability to obtain National Crime Information Center certification within six months of employment, and maintain certification;

n Valid Nevada driver's license;

n Minimum keyboarding speed of 45 words per minute;

n Within a year, must obtain emergency medical dispatch certification and maintain certification with 24 hours of continuing education credits on a biennial basis;

n Subject to drug and alcohol testing;

n Must pass an audio/hearing test;

n Applicants will be tested on the STARZ 9-9-1 simulator to evaluate ability to multitask, listen, comprehend and follow instructions under stress conditions;

n Salary: $18.42 with merit increases possible to a maximum of $24.62 per hour, 40 hours per week.

Information: Douglas County Human Resources Office, 1616 8th St., Minden, 782-9876 or www.douglascountyhr.com.

NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK APRIL 13-19

Douglas County proclamation: "Be it proclaimed by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners that the week of April 13-19 is designated National Telecommunicators Week in Douglas County, in honor of the men and women whose skills, diligence and professionalism keep Douglas County safe for all."