‘We help people’: Dispatchers recognized as wildfires ravage southeast Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – With wildfires raging in eastern Nebraska, first responders say communication between agencies is of the utmost importance, which is where 911 dispatch centers come in.

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, so many first responders are honoring their dispatchers for the work they do.

Dispatcher Shasta Starkey said the 911 call center in Lincoln covers about 900 square miles in Lancaster County and serve over 300,000 people.

“It’s nice to be recognized for the work that we do ’cause not a lot of people know what we do,” she said. “We help people. That’s the main goal, right? People call 911; they want us to assist them with what would eventually be or essentially be the worst day of their life.”

Starkey said rural agencies will usually issue burn permits during certain times of the year when conditions are safe.

But sometimes random fires happen and get out of control, like the grass fires that ravaged areas south of Lincoln last October.

That’s why dispatchers have to be ready for any call they get, Starkey said.

“The sooner we can get the help out, the better, especially during inclement weather,” she said. “There is a fire season. Winds are high, and temperatures are always varying, and it can spread pretty quickly.”

Jessica Loos from the dispatch center said it’s citizens who initiate the response, so it’s important to be quick about calling for help.

“When seconds count, it is critical that we can rely on them to say something when they see something,” she said.

Loos and Starkey agreed that it takes coordination between multiple agencies to ensure that rural fires are taken care of quickly.

One of the agencies called out to the Cass County fires on Saturday was Eagle Fire & Rescue.

Fire Lieutenant Aaron Hofeling said while you may not see dispatchers, they are the first first responders.

“They’re the people that pick up the phone when you call 911, and they’re the people that are actually dispatching us out, trying to get information,” he said.

Hofeling said communications is critical when these large wildfires pop up, which is why both dispatchers and radio are important.

One bill in the Legislature this year that could help is LB 511, which would provide radios connected on a statewide system to all rural departments.

SEE ALSO: Brewer proposes $26 million bill to help rural Nebraska fire departments update radios

That means anybody could connect with the radios, regardless of where in the state they’re at.

Hofeling said this would help departments communicate and make dispatchers more efficient, since they won’t have to patch people into the different frequencies.

“Trying to get 25-plus departments responding and having to basically coordinate everything that’s going out there on the fire scene is an incredibly difficult job, so many thanks go out to them,” he said.