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Show The heart of the department By JANIS STUART FARMTNGTON-From a keg of nails spilling on the freeway to a complaint that a newspaper was late, dispatchers at the Davis County Coun-ty Sheriffs Department Coun-tywide Coun-tywide Communication center process pro-cess calls from people who need assistance. Dispatchers are the first responders to medical emergencies, traffic problems, various traumas, and fires. It is their function to take a call, find out what the problem is, find out where the problem is, decide which agency should respond res-pond to the call and keep the person own professionalism. One dispatcher dis-patcher recalls receiving a call about a policeman being shot in North Salt Lake. Her husband was on the force on duty at the time. In spite of her fears for her husband's safety, calls had to be coordinated and facts had to be accurate and clear. Among other services, the Davis County Sheriff's Department Coun-tywide Coun-tywide Communications Center is the primary dispatch for North Salt Lake, Woods Cross, West Bountiful, Boun-tiful, Centerville, Farmington, Kaysville, Syracuse, Clinton and Sunset police departments, as well as West Point City, Fruit Heights City, South Heber City, Davis County Sheriff, Search and Rescue and Utah Highway Patrol. The center also dispatchers for South Davis, Farmington, Kaysville, Kays-ville, Syracuse, Clinton, Sunset, South Weber fire departments and Fruit Heights City. Davis County dispatchers are the first responder for Kaysville, Syracuse, Farmington and South Weber fire departments. ' The South Davis Fire District, Davis County Sheriffs ambulance 1 and Davis County paramedics receive assistance from the center. I on the line from panicking and not being able to give needed information. informa-tion. "It takes a certain personality to succeed at this job explained Karen Wright, a supervisor in dispatch who has spent the last 15 years performing the high pressure job. There is typically a three-year bum-out time for dispatchers. "At times, the dispatcher has to give CPR instructions to a frightened frighten-ed caller while giving information to officers so they can respond to the situation," said Wright There are 12 dispatchers, working work-ing four ten-hour shifts a week. A minimum of three dispatchers work a shift at any one time. They have all undergone extensive medical training and are well prepared to give instruction on how to perform CPR, a skill that has saved lives in the past. According to Wright, ' 'The most stressful situations are those that involve in-volve children." During one week, Wright received receiv-ed four calls involving children under three. One of the children was killed when pinned under a motorcycle. Another child died after being pinned under an automatic garage door. The upset caller did not know how to use the emergency release on the door. The one redeeming call of that wet was b call for assistance regarding a call of an infant drowning drown-ing in Syracuse. The dispatcher was able to assist the mother, and together they saved the baby's life. Certain instances arise where dispatchers have to rely on their |