Robbinsville – The Graham County Communications Center came alive Friday when the center threw open its doors to community members.
The new center’s first open house offered tours of the facility, as well as refreshments and opportunities to meet the folks who make the center work.
The state-of-the-art, grant-funded facility opened last November and is the most secure building in Graham County.
The 4,000 square-foot structure is tornado-proof and designed to keep operations running in any conditions.
Even the climate-control system has built-in redundancy. It was designed with an eye to the future, with room for at least two more dispatchers.
The building was funded by the tax on every phone bill. This tax goes to the state’s 911 fund and is then dispersed throughout the state. The money comes with strict guidelines on how the money may be spent and director Misty Hembree said that “the grant application process itself took three to four months of work.”
Hembree, who began as a dispatcher in 1998 and became director of the center in 2009-2010, described her job as “a really good fit. When I began working here, it gave me a sense of helping someone when they’re in need. We help them through their worst days. “
According to Hembree, the center answers over 45,000 calls every year, with around 7,000-8,000 of those meriting a response.
“People call us when they want something, needs something, or something is wrong,” she said.
Dispatcher Wanda Matos began working at the center only two months ago, but already sees herself “doing this long term.” The job involves up to a year of training, but according to Matos, “the training is never really done.”
Matos sees the job as “a way to help people. It’s a good job, but a little crazy at times. It’s the ability to help people that keeps you going.” Matos also said she never realized how tight-knit of a community Graham County was until she started working 911 dispatch.
Among the many challenges of working Graham County dispatch is 911 addressing. Hembree asked that all residents display 911 addresses prominently in a place that is easily visible from the road. She also emphasized the importance of knowing your surroundings.
“We have to know where you are in order to get you the help that you need,” Hembree said.
Other challenges include spotty cell phone coverage and lack of road signs. Both of these can prove major impediments to a timely response to an emergency.
Callers also tend to express frustration with the Emergency Medical Dispatch system, or EMD, which the county adopted six years ago. The system is a structured series of medical-based questions which some callers find tedious.
“Just know that we are here for the caller,” said Hembree. “We know that you are either excited, frustrated, or sick, but we please understand that we are here to help.
“We are here for you.”