Six local dispatchers honored for efforts during pandemic and beyond

“It’s kind of like being the Secret Santa. You don’t know them and they don’t know you, but you know you’ve made a difference,” said Alicia Gallegos of her job as a dispatcher for San Juan County Public Safety. 
Dispatchers serve a vital role in providing emergency services for citizens of San Juan County, yet the work goes largely unrecognized, much like a Secret Santa.
To recognize those dispatchers who play such a crucial role in their communities, the week of April 12-18 is designated as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. 
Sergeant Marcia Shumway said, “Dispatchers are the hub, the lifeline of the community... Without our
dispatchers, we wouldn’t
have the services in the community that we have. They’re very valuable, very important, not just to law enforcement, but the citizens in every home.” 
Five dispatchers and Sergeant Marcia Shumway handle emergency calls for all of San Juan County.
The county dispatch crew includes Jason Slade, Lucia Regalado, Alicia Gallegos, Kari Schmidt, and Julian Atencio. 
Dispatchers in San Juan County face many challenges within the seven million acres and multiple jurisdictions they cover. Getting the response right is vital.
Shumway is proud of the dispatch crew that provides service for San Juan County.
She says, “I feel like we have a very good dispatch crew. They’re young, eager to learn, and do an excellent job.
“We learn something new every single day. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here, there’s never any one call that’s the same.” 
Dispatchers multi-task to the extreme in their day-to-day work. Multiple radios go off all the time.
They maintain doors, intercoms, and controls in the jail. They constantly monitor cameras in the jail. They listen to radio traffic and take 9-1-1 calls.
They listen to the law enforcement channel, EMS, fire, jail channel, and more. They scan and monitor neighboring cities and counties. They talk to other dispatch channels in the area.
Quiet shifts can rapidly change into one where several things are happening at once. There could be three or four major calls coming in that they have to prioritize and get appropriate responses for.
Shumway said, “There’s never just one thing going on at a time. They have to train their ear to be alert and monitor all those things at once.”
A quick response from a dispatcher ensures the alert gets through to the proper channel in a timely manner. Their response can save lives.  
“They are the lifeline of the community and they don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Shumway says. 
Dispatchers for San Juan County also express a love for the job, no matter how stressful or complex. 
Alicia Gallegos said, “I’ve tried other things, and there’s just nothing like it. I love working with the public...
“We’re behind the scenes, and you rarely hear about what we do. Every call is unique and different. It always changes.”
Dispatchers also express an appreciation for those they work with in fire, EMS, law enforcement, search and rescue, and more. 
Gallegos said, “One of the best things is working with the people here and working with law enforcement. They are incredible people to be around.” 
Jason Slade, also a dispatcher for San Juan County, adds, “It’s pretty neat to be a part of the system that’s here.
“These are people that will get up in the middle of the night and go help, whether it’s search and rescue, highway patrol, fire, or ambulance.
“You get to see all the systems come into place. You get to see all the different people do their jobs no matter what, when, and where.”
An estimated 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the U.S. each year.
The week has recognized public safety telecommunications professionals nationwide since 1994.