Sonora, CA…Last week our talented and dedicated dispatchers were presented with the Distinguished Service Award for their work between January 2019 – December 2021. During this timeframe our dispatch center was severely understaffed, with available staff taking as little as one day off a week to maintain minimum staffing. In 2019, although understaffed, our dispatchers collaboratively decided to take on Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD), a program designed to provide medical aid over the phone. Our dispatchers made this decision despite knowing it would require extra training, and a higher workload on an already stressed unit. Our dispatchers ultimately made this decision because of their desire to help our community members in crisis through medical emergencies and assist in saving lives by learning how to effectively implement EMD to provide guidance to those on scene over the phone.

Our dispatchers worked countless hours of overtime, missed vacations and worked on days-off to become EMD certified. In 2019 our dispatchers rendered aid to community members by using EMD, resulting in 5 life-saving actions being taken. In 2020, our dispatchers took on a 30% increase in call volume during the COVID-19 pandemic while also navigating an even more severe staffing shortage due to COVID-19 protocols. Our dispatchers continued to work together to carry on with their duties, demonstrating a high level of selflessness and dedication. In 2020 our dispatchers rendered aid to community members by using EMD, resulting in 8 life-saving actions being taken, and in 2021 they rendered aid using EMD resulting in 9 life-saving actions being taken.

Proud and inspired doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how we feel about our dispatchers!💛💛💛 Thank you all for your selfless dedication to your duties and our community during a very challenging time.

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Source = Tuolumne Sheriff’s Department