Prescott LIVING Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Prescott LIVING Magazine - Click for Current Issue
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
        • People’s Choice Photo Winners
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
        • Home & Garden
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
        • Pizza
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
        • People’s Choice Photo Winners
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
        • Home & Garden
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
        • Pizza
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Prescott LIVING Magazine
Prescott LIVING Magazine - Click for Current Issue
Home Special Sections Everyone Can Be a Hero

Behind the Scenes of Prescott’s 911 Dispatch Hub

December 9, 2021
0
326
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Near the heart of “Everybody’s Hometown” sits a regional 911 police/fire dispatch center, staffed by 30-plus women and men with nerves of steel and hearts of gold. They operate complex technology while counseling people in crisis and send the correct resources out to them.

These heroes hustle to get public safety responders to emergencies from Paulden to Prescott Valley.

Vivian Marcott, lead dispatch supervisor of the Prescott Regional Public Safety Communication Center, is a 25-year veteran of Greater Prescott’s emergency dispatch scene, since before local agencies pooled their resources to launch the center in 2005.
“I have absolutely loved every minute of my career in the 25 years it’s been,” she says, since she was a young mother looking for a full-time job that would let her be with her kids in the daytime.
Extensive training to function in such a complex position requires considerable investment on the personal and public levels, Marcott says: “There is so much involved in training somebody, we’re looking for somebody that’s committed to making that. It’s not just a job. It’s not something that you want to do interim for a year or two.”
The communications center serves the Prescott and Prescott Valley police departments, Prescott Fire Department, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, Yavapai-Prescott Tribal Police Department, Yavapai College Police Department, and the fire districts serving Groom Creek and Walker.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office maintains its own dispatch facility, Marcott says. “We’re connected with them on certain things and we can work really well with them. And we also have them as a backup, if we had to evacuate our building, we would go over to the Sheriff’s office. And they can come over here.”
ON THE JOB
The communications center answers more than 23,000 calls per month, of which fire or police personnel are dispatched to about 7,000.
Marcott says operators at the dispatch center fill two primary roles: call takers, who answer incoming calls, prioritize them and send them to the correct agency, and dispatchers for police and fire departments, relaying information to personnel in the field and maintaining contact to relay updates back and monitor their status.
Robb Martin, communications manager for the center and a former Prescott police officer, says the job is extremely rewarding but its stress can take a toll, something he’s always on the watch for.
“It’s very important that we take care of each other, too. We try to monitor that as much as possible and try to make sure that everyone’s taking care of themselves first, because mental health and their personal health is very important, first before the job. Because if they’re not healthy and ready to work, then that can cause problems down the line,” he say.
Marcott and Martin say recognition of what they do can be overshadowed by that given to the front-line workers seen by the public, but that appears to be shifting.
Marcott says, “There was a group of us that joined Coffee with a Cop out at Jen’s Café where we arrived there with officers. And when we do present ourselves, when people see our faces, they really are interested in having a conversation with us or just looking at us saying, ‘Wow, this is the first person I might be talking to if I had any emergency’.”

Previous Post

The People, who dedicate their time to rescue, are Our Heroes

Next Post

Holiday Evergreens: Double Down on Privacy

Next Post

Holiday Evergreens: Double Down on Privacy

Join our Newsletter

Prescott LIVING eNewsletter Subscription

No Result
View All Result
Cover for Prescott Living Magazine
12,439
Prescott Living Magazine

Prescott Living Magazine

Come & enjoy the local scene in Prescott Arizona!

Prescott Living Magazine

16 hours ago

Prescott Living Magazine
Happy 4th of July! We hope you enjoy your Independence Day celebration with friends and family. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Prescott Living Magazine

1 day ago

Prescott Living Magazine
The Greater Prescott community has lost one of its leading citizens. Our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Chris Graff. ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

It’s About LOCAL – ADVERTISE WITH US

© 2022 ROX Media •  Privacy Policy
info@roxco.com • 130 N. Granite St. • Prescott, AZ 86301 • 928.350.8006
CORPORATE OFFICE: 1919 N. Trekell Rd.,  Suite C •  Casa Grande, AZ 85122 • 520.426.2074 • 844.729.9769

No Result
View All Result
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe

© 2022 ROX Media Group.