FORT KNOX, Ky. — When calls come in, by the second ring a dispatcher at the Fort Knox 9-1-1 Call Center has answered and is already assessing what actions need to be taken.
Emergencies aren’t the only calls coming in, however, and calls come in multiple times throughout each day.
The calls could be as simple a tripped alarm in a facility or as complex as coordinating among multiple agencies to ensure everyone arrives at the scene of a life-threatening incident at the right place, at the right time.
For instance, the call center monitors about 350 fully alarmed facilities totaling about 50,000 alarms. The alarms include smoke detectors, heat detectors, pull station alarms and more: “things that wake you up in the middle of the night,” said Ron Harness, 9-1-1 supervisor.
Several personnel keep the center open 24/7. Led by Harness, they man phones, monitor activities around post, log incidents and file reports for every incident. The personnel are divided into three teams running eight-hour shifts to ensure someone is always there to take the call.
Because of the constant stress of fielding calls regularly and knowing in an instant how to respond to each as well as maintaining and updating records for every incident, Harness said the job is not for everyone. But the rewards last a lifetime.