911 Dispatchers Honored at Commissioners Court

By ANDY BEHLEN  Fayette County Commissioners Court signed a proclamation on Monday, April 11, proclaiming the week of April 10-16 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Fayette County.

“You guys do so much out there, but you don’t get the recognition,” Janecka said to a group of Fayette County emergency radio dispatchers who attended Monday’s meeting. “Here’s our opportunity to say ‘Thank you.’

“It would be nice if citizens could spend four or five hours with you at night or on a weekend, to see what you have to go through,” Janecka added.

Nine employees work at the Fayette County 911 call center. The workers answer 911 calls and dispatch firefighters from all fire departments in the county, sheriff’s deputies, EMS personnel and police officers in La Grange, Schulenburg and Flatonia. 

They also coordinate with DPS troopers and game wardens whenever they are needed.

The 911 center took 19,000 calls last year. That amounts to an average of over 50 calls per day, or 350 calls in a week. 

“People see it on TV, where someone takes the phone call, someone is on the radio and someone does the paperwork. We do it all,” said dispatch supervisor Brenda Parkinson.

Lt. David Beyer of the Sheriff’s Office was on hand for the proclamation signing and recalled one incident where quick action by the dispatchers resulted in the capture of a rapist less than an hour following a violent sexual assault. He said dispatchers received a call from the victim’s daughter and quickly notified surrounding counties. The criminal was located in Colorado County just 38 minutes after the call came in.

“They were very instrumental in that guy getting caught,” Beyer said. “Without what they did, I think it would have been very difficult. He was from Mexico. If he had gotten away, we would have had a hard time finding him. That lady would have never gotten justice.”