When someone says the term “first responder,” most individuals think of a firefighter, officer, paramedic or EMT – but between the blue and red lines is a thin gold line that represents the first responders that are rarely seen.
On Wednesday, December 15, a severe wind advisory and thunderstorm watch were issued to parts of the KMMO listening area and behind the scene were E-911 Dispatchers.
According to a release, Saline County E-911 Dispatchers sat quietly in the calm before the storm, but calls had already started rolling in due to high winds setting off alarms and blowing down trees that were blocking roadways.
Officials say during the storm, there was a 175 minute period where four dispatchers never left their seats as they received calls and communicated vital information to emergency responders throughout the county.
The Saline County E-911 Administration Office says, “In all total there were 81 calls that came in during the time frame resulting in 282 outgoing 911 radio transmissions. The 9-1-1 dispatchers received and processed 271 incoming radio transmissions from emergency responders in the field – totaling 553 radio transmissions in all – averaging an incoming and outgoing message approximately every 3.2 minutes.”
The four dispatchers made 31 emergency response calls to area law enforcement agencies including the Saline County Ambulance, Marshall Police Department, Saline County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Marshall Fire Department, West Central Fire Sweet Springs and Glasgow Fire Department.
The four first responders working behind the scenes requested to remain anonymous and be recognized as part of the Saline County E-911 Telecommunications Specialists that serve the entire county.
Stacie Smith, the Director of the Saline County E-911 says, “The Thin Gold Line. That is what they are. Those who aren’t seen but heard. They are referred to as the golden glue that holds all the other emergency response agencies together. They are 9-1-1. The voice on the other end of the line when you call needing help.”