SPOKANE VALLEY, WA — A 45-year-old woman, referred to as “Jane Doe” by authorities, was arrested on April 13, 2025, for repeatedly misusing the 911 emergency text system after sending more than 300 messages in less than three hours.
“During this week, we honor the dedication and hard work of our EPSO telecommunications team, including dispatchers, call-takers, dispatch technicians, trainers, and all public safety telecommunicators who respond when called upon,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “To our unseen heroes behind the console, the voice on the line—thank you for being the ‘first’ responder at the scene, the calm in the storm, and for showing compassion to the citizens of the Pikes Peak region.
“Your commitment, kindness, and professionalism save lives and keep our law enforcement officers and first responders safer every day. We appreciate you and are grateful!”
By Zenji Nakazawa | Acting Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Could you talk a distraught parent through delivering their baby and clamping the umbilical cord? What about guiding a lost, elderly person battling dementia and paranoia, along with her six-year-old grandson, out of the woods to safety? Now, imagine doing all of this over the phone, where every decision can mean the difference between life and death. This is just a glimpse into the extraordinary challenges our nation’s dedicated 911 telecommunicators face on any given workday.
During this year’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate our incredible 911 telecommunicators across the nation.
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is expected to address Punta Gorda’s City Council on Wednesday over a controversial county take-over of the city’s 911 center.
Hawaii County’s new 17,127-square-foot Emergency Call Center in Hilo opened this week, housing dispatch operations for the Police and Fire departments.
“After decades of planning, we now have a state-of-the-art facility where our police and fire dispatchers can work side by side,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said Monday at the blessing ceremony. “This new Emergency Call Center represents a major investment in public safety and, importantly, supports the essential around-the-clock work of these dedicated professionals.”
“Shots fired! Shots fired!”
The patrol officer shrieked as he radioed in his location. Other officers acknowledged they were on the way.
It was 1979 and I was training a new dispatcher to take my place in the radio room so I could move on to a patrol officer position. The new guy sat frozen beside me, his face pale and stiff.
