DEAR EDITOR:
These last weeks have been an extremely sad and emotional one
for many people, especially the family and friends of Mr.
Iwanaga.
DEAR EDITOR:
These last weeks have been an extremely sad and emotional one for many people, especially the family and friends of Mr. Iwanaga. It has also been an especially hard week for the dispatcher who dealt with that call. My heart truly goes out to the Iwanaga family who lost a wonderful part of their spirit, may God be with them.
I am writing this letter today to let you know that the person on the other end of that 9-1-1 line is just that, a person. I’ve had the privilege to work with this particular dispatcher for well over a decade during which I’ve constantly put my life into those very capable hands. I don’t know whether a mistake was made or not and that is not the reason for this letter. I would just like you to take a moment to walk in the shoes of a dispatcher, particularly the one who took the call on the fateful day.
This dispatcher wakes up in the morning with the realization that one of the hundreds of calls to 9-1-1 that day may be a life-or-death situation. It is the dispatcher who is the first line of defense when it comes to emergencies. This doesn’t faze this dispatcher because this dispatcher has dealt with this thousands of times before. This dispatcher makes it a priority to allay the fears of those calling for help, to assure those looking for assistance their needs will be met. It is this dispatchers very core being to help those in need, this dispatcher wouldn’t have it any other way.
There is a lot that goes on in the hub of the 9-1-1 center. On any given day the dispatcher will field calls from citizens looking for their lost dogs, or parents looking for their children, people reporting crimes of all sorts, police officers calling for assistance, firefighters looking for direction, or someone simply having dialed the wrong number. No matter the reason, the dispatcher is constantly “on the go,” not only with the phone lines but with computer operations as well. It is not unusual to have as few as two dispatchers working on any given day, any given shift, without relief. The citizens of Gilroy are looked after by the dispatchers 24/7 and they take that to heart. Never does a dispatcher want to let anyone down, never do they want to put anyone in harms way, never do they ever want to “lose” anyone.
When I read the story about Mr. Iwanaga and realized there may have been an error made, my heart sunk as did everyone else’s in the emergency services field. I knew the dispatcher would be devastated by this regardless of the reason. It’s the worst case scenario and you pray it never happens. You say to yourself, “there but for the grace of God go I …” and know that no one is without fault.
Even though I see our dispatchers as heroes and more importantly my lifeline, they are but mere mortals who give their all and do there best but are not infallible.
Please know that the hurt runs deep for those who lost their loved one and it will be in the minds and hearts of every dispatcher for some time to come as they continue to “look after” the folks of Gilroy, giving their all in the most humanly way they know how.
Veronica Georges, Gilroy
Submitted Friday, Sept. 5 to ed****@****ic.com
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.
