By Wade Magers
Lincoln County Sheriff 

Sheriff shines spotlight on Lincoln County communications center and jail

Guest column

 

Last updated 7/20/2020 at 4:09pm

Lincoln County Sheriff's Office

Undersheriff Kelly Watkins, Jail Superintendent Lyle Hendrickson, Deputy Brad Sweet, Deputy Tom Sherbon, Deputy Matt Chalmers, Deputy Scott Blomgren, Deputy Anna Bocook, Deputy Cody Gyllenskog, Deputy Zenda Jaeger, Deputy David Husky, Deputy Cydnee Kieffer, 911 Coordinator Jo Borden, Sheriff Wade Magers.

DAVENPORT - "9-1-1 What is the location of your emergency?"

This phrase is used multiple times a day in the Lincoln County Communications Center, where nine full-time dispatch/corrections deputies and two supervisors provide 24/7 coverage. At least two dispatchers are on duty at all times in the Communications Center, working days, nights, weekends and holidays, responsible for answering all 911 calls made within Lincoln County or transferred from neighboring counties and agencies. They handle dispatching for the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, two police departments, the National Park Service and seven Lincoln County Fire and EMS Districts. Non-emergency calls also ring into the Communications Center, reporting lost dogs, burn requests, suspicious vehicles, fraud, inmate requests, traffic hazards, speeding vehicles, etc. In 2019, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office received 4,405 emergency 911 calls and approximately 20,500 administrative calls. Dispatchers made over 10,000 outbound calls during this same period.

Dispatch/corrections deputies are highly trained and specialized. They are also corrections deputies who work in the Lincoln County Jail, providing care and custody for up to 31 inmates at a time. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office houses inmates who are sentenced to 365 days or less on misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony charges. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office also contracts with outside agencies including the Department of Corrections, the Stevens County Jail, Fairchild Air Force Base and the U.S. Marshals. Corrections deputies are responsible for booking, releasing, fingerprinting, acting as court-appearance escorts and providing meals, medication, cleaning, daily care and custody.

Upon hire, deputies start an approximately year-long training process. They are required to attend a four-week Corrections Officer Academy run by the Criminal Justice Training Commission, joining other corrections officers from across the state in a curriculum that includes booking, transport, communications, peer support and legal issues. They gain the basic knowledge and skills needed to provide safe and effective service within the jail. They must also pass a physical ability test, which includes a 1.5-mile run, push-ups and sit-ups. They also attend telecommunications courses and emergency dispatch courses, but the new hire receives most of his/her training on the job. They study Lincoln County policy and procedures, learn multiple computer programs, including a Computer Aided Dispatch System and Jail Record Management System. Typing, organization, prioritizing, working in a high-stress environment, great communication skills and teamwork are all necessary skills.

Although not highly visible to the public, these deputies are the first voice you hear when calling for assistance. They are often referred to as unseen heroes of public safety, as they provide an invaluable role in gathering data and providing detailed information to responding road deputies and/or medical/fire personnel and detailed documentation of every aspect of calls and conversations. They are master multi-taskers and are able to type information as it's relayed to them, talk on the radio and listen to someone talking on the phone all at the same time, while remaining calm, working as a team with their partner and providing pre-arrival instructions to callers to determine whether they need law-enforcement, fire or medical assistance.

The dispatch/corrections team typically plays a part in a call for service from start to finish. For example, a Lincoln County citizen calls 911 to report a possible drunk driver who is crossing the centerline and/or fog line. The dispatcher obtains the direction of travel, vehicle description, etc. and types the information into the Computer Aided Dispatch Software. They then advise all available road deputies of the complaint and vehicle description. Once the vehicle is located and stopped, the dispatcher runs the vehicle registration and obtains driver information, checking for driving status, warrants, protection orders, etc. If the person is taken into custody for DUI or any other criminal charge; that same Dispatch/Corrections deputy books the person into jail.

The skill set of these deputies is like no other. They are expert communicators, thrive in stressful situations, remain calm and clear headed, are teamwork centered and are dedicated to providing expert customer service to all who call the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. I am extremely proud of our Dispatch/Corrections Deputies.

- Wade Magers is the Lincoln County sheriff.

 

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