By Jennifer Baustian, director of Kane Comm
Can you imagine a 911 operator relaying to a citizen that help is not on the way? Such an occasion rarely arises, but during the recent blizzard, the 911 dispatchers of KaneComm found themselves in that very situation. Between February 1st and 2nd KaneComm dispatchers and staff managed a total of 2,487 telephone calls, from mundane inquiries regarding roadway conditions to significantly more life-threatening incidents that required deployment of a multitude of resources.
Warning
The National Weather Service had issued a blizzard warning prompting the closing of Kane County government offices at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday. Operations deemed non essential re-routed the continuous operation portion of their workload to KaneComm - standard operating procedure. With the constant wailing of 911 lines as a backdrop, Orders of Protection continued to trickle in from the courts, warrant arrests were made, and those in police custody continued to post bond. Unbeknownst to many, our personnel were tasked with these additional duties and more while simultaneously managing the single highest surge in call load in recent history. At its highest , the center averaged 265 telephone calls in one hour.
Rush Hour
As rush hour crept on, hundreds of motorists became stranded. Initially, dispatchers obtained basic data needed to facilitate the deployment of first responders. By early evening, however, it had become apparent that police and fire personnel in the rural portions of Kane County were becoming incapacitated because of treacherous road conditions. For the duration of two shifts, as many as 94 calls for service remained pending on the computer-aided dispatch screen at any given time. Each involved multiple vehicles and in some cases an unconfirmed number of occupants. Throughout the region residents were stranded in their homes or trapped alone in their vehicle and at the mercy of the elements.
Responding to Desperation
KaneComm dispatchers and staff answered the panicked calls of drivers, providing them with the most basic utilitarian directives for survival until help could arrive. Desperate calls poured in from hysterical family members of those who had yet to arrive at home. Dispatchers collaborated to constantly monitor names, locations and vehicle descriptions of callers in an attempt to seek resolution for those who remained unaccounted for. At one point, late Wednesday morning, a collective gasp followed by a cheer of relief could be heard as contact was finally made with a woman who had been missing since the prior evening when her vehicle had become trapped in the snow.
Duty Calls
A travel ban was instituted early on during the blizzard with the exception of emergency personnel. It is unlikely during these hours that many stopped to ponder how 911 personnel would manage to report for duty. The reality was, in and of itself, a display of employee dedication.
With a duty roster comprised almost entirely of mothers and fathers, this meant that 911 staff had to leave children and spouses behind and brave the conditions in order to serve the greater good. Those who started their shift at 3:00 p.m. worked until 4:30 a.m. and others straight through 7:00 a.m. Personnel assigned to the midnight shift began the journey to work many hours prior to their shift, knowing full well the impact that absence would have on their counterparts and the public. One such employee became stranded. A tow truck was called but became trapped as well. The dispatcher then walked over five miles through the blizzard alone at midnight.
One dispatcher, in the far south end of the county, had explored several transport alternatives starting at 4:00 a.m. but none was able to provide assistance as they all had been pulled off the road due to the impassable conditions. Ultimately, the Office of Emergency Management volunteers came to her aid and plowed through four-foot snow drifts in order to ensure that she arrived safely to work her shift, as they understood the need for us to maintain the continuity of our operation.
Mission Accomplished
By trade a 911 dispatcher is in essence the �first� first responder. However, their work generally goes unseen by the public who they serve. At KaneComm our mission statement reads: We commit to serving as a vital link between the citizens of Kane County and the public safety agencies devoted to protecting them. That commitment was exuded by every single member of the Kane County Emergency Communications staff who served during the blizzard of 2011.
Each and every resident of the region will undoubtedly have an anecdote to share. As for me? There simply are not words to adequately describe the pride that I felt after witnessing the performance and dedication of our staff during this horrendous event. It is a remarkable thing to behold the spirit of public service truly exemplified.
