Emergency Communications Transition Going Smoothly

Mahaska County E911 Dispatch

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Emergency Management Commission recently met after the passage of a 28E agreement between themselves and the E911 Board that put the responsibility of day-to-day oversight of the emergency communications under the EMA Director’s responsibility.

That position is held by Jamey Robinson. Robinson now overseas the emergency dispatch department and emergency management operations. With the consolidation, the board moved forward with the plan to hire a Deputy EMA Coordinator.

This position isn’t an additional person, but instead is replacing a position opened up through retirement, and not an additional cost to the taxpayer.

The position will help ensure continuity in the event one of the EMA staff needs to be out of the county for training, vacation, or in the event of an emergency situation.

For Robinson, the added responsibility comes with learning how to dispatch emergency personnel. The next step in growing that knowledge needed is to attend tele-communicators training, which Robinson will attend later this month. “All of the officers and deputies have been very patient with me,” said Robinson.

“I’ve always said that the dispatch center is an under-appreciated resource,” said Robinson. Those who serve as emergency dispatchers in Mahaska County are trained as emergency medical dispatchers, “They are truly the unseen first responder. They’re telling people how to do CPR and how to hold pressure when bleeding is occurring.”

Robinson spoke highly of the job the dispatchers are doing, saying, “They’re helping people out there. It’s over the phone. They are dealing with these highly stressful situations. People are calling in, they are very excited with a lot of adrenaline flowing and they [dispatchers] stay calm, they calm down that person, and they try to give them that medical information to start treatments right away.

“I’ve [Robinson] always known what they [dispatchers] do, but until you sit there and actually do it, you don’t realize the complexity of that one simple phone call and what a difference it can make.”

Robinson said that he is pleased with how the transition has been progressing as Emergency Management has taken over that oversight role.

Some changes will be in store for the E911 Center, because Robinson says he understands the importance of keeping up communications 24/7 for the county. Those changes may come by being prepared to dispatch from a different location in the event of fire at the center. No detailed plans or practice has been worked out for that situation. Oskaloosa Fire Department is the designated location for dispatch in such an emergency, but further evaluation of that plan is needed.

Additional information is being gathered about the tower that E911 leases, and determining how that facility is working with the new narrow-banding requirements that have been handed down from the Federal Government. Robinson said that Mahaska County Supervisor Mike Vander Molen, who is also a member of the Emergency Management Commission, had formed a committee to look at communication options and if the current tower is fulfilling communication needs.

Robinson explained that “Radio communications are so important,” especially when landlines and cellphones are not working in emergency situations. “We just need to make sure we have backups for our backups.”