Fruitland PD sheds light on its dispatchers during natl. public safety telecommunications week

FRUITLAND, Md. – When you dial 9-1-1, you often don’t think of the person on the other end of the line.

But that dispatcher who answers the call plays a crucial role in getting you the help you need.

“A lot of times, we talk to people, on, to them, what is the worst day of their life. One of our many jobs is to de-escalate whatever situation they’re in,” said Fruitland PD dispatcher, Tanner Jones.

From the time a call for help is placed, to the moment officers or EMS arrive, Jones remains vigilant, sending vital information to his officers and communicating back and forth, so they understand what situation they’re walking into.

“It’s a lot of pieces that go into the puzzle, and somehow it all just fits together,” Jones said.

Jones’ role takes keen intuition and a lot of dedication. To him, being a dispatcher is more than picking up the phone throughout the day, it’s about getting people the help they need.

“If you’re asking questions, a lot of times, people think that’s going to delay the response,” Jones said.

“That’s really important for people to realize, that I’m asking questions, but we’ve already got help started, so answering the questions is not going to delay us getting help to you,” Jones added.

Jones said telling the dispatcher about the environment you’re in can help ensure both yours and the officer’s safety.

officer Caleb Walston said being able to communicate effectively with your dispatcher is what makes for a more successful emergency response.

“Tanner’s really good. He knows exactly what information I want, even if it’s just a traffic stop,” Officer Walston said. “He knows I want certain information ran before other information, it’s just kind of like the chemistry we have.”

All of the exchanged information is what helps the duo ensure a safe outcome for everyone involved.

“We all are working towards the same goal, and we’re very fortunate here that all of our officers and our communications personnel are very tight knit,” Jones said.