Page 122 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2018

FIRST RESPONDERS what’s your emergency?
JACKSON COUNTY
E 911COORDINATES EMERGENCY CALLS
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Donn Hupp
In addition to maintaining a large data base of addresses, a big part of what the Jackson County E-911 Office does is coordinating with the county’s four municipalities
of Ocean Springs, Gautier, Pascagoula and Moss Point and the Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff and cities’ police and fire departments are linked
with the county to provide efficient emergency services to all residents.
Director George Sholl said, “We work together to make sure everyone is on the data base and that addresses are valid. It’s a constant process to keep
it clean with correct spellings and making sure our maps are up to date. There’s a lot of technology involved and years of work behind us.”
There are five public safety answering points — dispatch centers — with someone answering the 911 calls 24 hours of every day. “These public safety points are the heart of the 911 system,” Sholl said.
Deputy Director Tara Bendell added, “We have 53 dispatchers county wide, and I have such a huge respect for what they do. It’s incredibly tough taking that first emergency call, and
the dispatchers don’t get enough recognition. We support and honor what they do; that’s why we make such a great team for the county.”
The first and most important question a dispatcher asks is ‘what is your location?’ Sholl and Bendell offer the following tips when making an emergency 911 call:
State the address as clearly and accurately as you can.
Although it’s difficult, try to stay calm. “Sometimes people comment that dispatchers seem cold or rude,” Sholl said. “It isn’t that. They’re trying
122 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2018
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