Receiving dozens of frantic phone calls a day from people at their most desperate is a job that requires patience, training, and a particular temperament to see people through emergencies great and small. That’s the job of a 911 operator, a job the Collier County Sheriffs' Office says it needs filled at its new 911 call center.
First responders help people facing accidents, injuries, fires, or crime. They never know what they’re going to hear a the other end of the line, and they have to be prepared for anything. The county is looking to staff 15 dispatcher positions at its Emergency Management building.
Thursday at 1:30 p.m., CCSO communications center manager Michael McLaughlin explains the training 911 operators receive, what it takes to handle the high-stress job, and what the job itself is like.
He'll also discuss ways those calling 911 can make the emergency personnel’s job easier between the time they make a call and when the first responders arrive.
