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<\/p>\nInside the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s dispatch center, the \u201cunsung heroes\u201d guiding people through their worst moments.<\/p>\n
SAN DIEGO \u2014 They are the calm voice on the other end of a crisis\u2014emergency dispatchers who help save lives every single day.<\/p>\n
During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, CBS 8 got a rare, behind-the-scenes look inside the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s Communications Center, where every second counts and every word matters. Inside the communications center, dispatchers are the first to answer when someone calls for help. They gather critical information, calm callers, and coordinate responses\u2014all in real time.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThese are the voices behind the scenes during your worst moments,\u201d said Captain Nathan Rowley with the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Rowley says becoming one of those voices is no easy task. The training process is long and demanding, often taking up to two years before a dispatcher is fully qualified.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very long training program, it\u2019s a very hard training program,\u201d Rowley said. \u201cMost people don\u2019t actually get to the point where they get to these seats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trainees must learn how to manage emergency calls, monitor radio traffic, and process life-or-death information all at once.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you call 911 or a non-emergency line, these are actually the people picking up the call,\u201d Rowley said.<\/p>\n
Dispatchers are often referred to as the \u201cforgotten first responders,\u201d but their role is critical from the very first moment of an emergency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re the first ones dealing with these incidents when people need them most,\u201d Rowley said. \u201cThey\u2019re already being the calm voice when the bad thing is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
The job requires intense focus, speed, and the ability to multitask under pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to be able to work in a fast-paced environment,\u201d said supervising dispatcher Ariana Hill-Battey. \u201cThey need to have a lot of patience, be able to multitask and really assess information as it\u2019s coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accuracy is crucial. Even a small mistake can have serious consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you mess up an address and you send somebody to the wrong place, that is a key thing to mess up,\u201d Hill-Battey said.<\/p>\n
For those who make it through the rigorous training, the job offers a strong sense of purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do like the process of helping people,\u201d said dispatcher Jennyfers Rosa.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are the first responders really taking the calls,\u201d added dispatcher Alina Tannone.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a team effort, built on trust between dispatchers and deputies in the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just feel like you\u2019re part of a team,\u201d Rosa said. \u201cThe people on the other side of the radio really do count on you to be that calm voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
It’s a demanding job where no two calls are the same and where every second can make a difference.<\/p>\n