DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – They’re the people who take your call when you need help the most: 911 dispatchers.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is looking to hire more emergency dispatchers immediately.
“We’re the only 911 center in the entire county,” 911 Communications Director Carolyn D’Agati said. “One of the great things about being a consolidated center is there’s really no transferring calls. Even though you have your local police departments, when you call 911, and you’re in Volusia County, we have the ability to dispatch the police officers in your area to your home. You won’t be transferring any calls. That includes police and fire.”
In order to help get results for Volusia County residents, the sheriff’s office needs more people to take those emergency calls.
“We are actively hiring full-time dispatchers right now,” D’Agati said. “Right now our starting pay for somebody with no experience is $19 an hour. Health insurance, dental insurance, right now that’s being paid for by Sheriff (Mike) Chitwood.”
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However, it’s not the pay and benefits that make the job so rewarding, it’s helping people in the community.
“We sometimes refer to ourselves as ‘first first responders,’ right, because we’re the vital link, we’re the link between that call and the emergency personnel that are going to show up at the scene of an emergency,” D’Agati said. “We’re taking calls at a time that somebody’s experiencing one of the worst situations in their life and it’s our job to help that situation and help them until the resources get on scene.”
911 Telecommunicator and trainer Brittany Presley said she originally had dreams of becoming a law enforcement officer, but finds she is just as vital as the first responders on an emergency scene.
“To be honest. I think I’m the hero now, I’m able to save people’s lives,” Presley said. “I talk to people in some of the worst days of their lives. I talk to a lot of people who suffer from mental health issues. So sometimes those people just want to talk, because they don’t have anyone to talk to and so when I’m working on a non-emergency line, there’s no timeframe for that. So I can be on the phone for 30-45 minutes. So I’m saving their life.”
She believes over her five years there, she has influenced easily the lives of about a thousand people.
“I’m passionate about what it is that I’m doing. I listen to them, I may not kind of understand what it is that they’re going through. I maybe can relate to some of them, right? You can’t really give advice. But I can give them a listening and comforting ear,” Presley said.
So what kind of person makes the best 911 telecommunicator?
“We’re making split-second decisions. It takes a strong personality and it takes somebody who — if they’ve ever been the one in their group of friends who has the ability to think clearly where everybody else is falling apart around them. That’s the type of personality we need for this type of job,” D’Agati said. “I often tell my dispatchers, ‘Have you ever called somewhere and you don’t really know what you need, you just know you need help? And you’re hoping to get that friendly voice on the phone. Be that person.’ Sometimes we get phone calls that have nothing to do with us, but people just need help. So you want to guide them to where they need to go.”
If you want to help guide people, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office wants you.
“Come here, come here, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office needs people, we need people that are willing to be the change. We need them here where we’re hurting for people. This is a very stressful job, it is very rewarding, though. Not only is it rewarding in the financial part of it, but it’s rewarding because you have a good boss. Sheriff Chitwood is a great boss and he looks out for us,” Presley said. “So come on in and hopefully I can train you.”
If you’re interested in applying for a 911 telecommunicator job, click here.
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