Upgrades bring 911 Dispatch into 21st Century

Dickinson County Commissioners approved a technology upgrade expected to improve how emergency medical calls are handled.

During the March 26 work session Emergency Communications Director Amber Pfeifer outlined the limitations of the county's current emergency medical dispatch system, which relies on decades-old, paper-based card sets to guide dispatchers through medical calls.

"All dispatchers at Dickinson County are EMD-certified," Pfeifer said, explaining that the system ensures dispatchers can gather critical information, triage calls, and provide life-saving instructions, such as CPR guidance, before first responders arrive. "We do this on every medical call, not just high-priority ones."

Dispatchers must juggle computer screens while manually referencing bulky card sets positioned beside their workstations. Once a call is identified as medical in nature, dispatchers turn to the cards, locate the appropriate category, such as falls, and follow a scripted series of questions to assess the situation.

Those questions include whether the patient is conscious, breathing, able to respond, or how far they may have fallen. After completing the call, dispatchers must then re-enter the information into the system, creating delays for first responders.

County leaders acknowledged the system's age and inefficiency during the discussion before the April 2 vote.

"We are using a Rolodex right now when it comes to codes and what the dispatch needs to relate to our emergency responders and law enforcement officers," said Kenny Roelofsen. "This would computerize that process and get us out of the 20th century."

Commissioner Lynn Peterson described the current method as cumbersome, noting dispatchers must sort through extensive scenarios manually.

"There could be a thousand situations they run into, and so they literally would go right to that situation - questions, … key information, and so on," Peterson said.

The existing card system has been in place for decades

"It's almost historic museum quality," he said.

Pfeifer requested approval to transition to a computerized system that would integrate directly into the county's existing computer-aided dispatch platform.

"This would place all the information into the call narrative in real time as dispatchers gather it," she said. "Responders would be able to see it immediately instead of waiting until after the call is completed."

The proposed system would also streamline emergency instructions. Rather than physically reaching for a card set, dispatchers could instantly access protocols, potentially speeding up the delivery of CPR instructions and reducing human error.

Commissioners raised questions about cost and effectiveness. Roelofsen outlined the financial structure of the proposal.

"The cost on the proposal here would be $22,402.78," he said. "After that, I believe it's only about a $1,200 fee a year to continue operating the software. So upfront cost is going to go away after year one."

The expense would be covered through the county's 911 fund.

Pfeifer emphasized that the upgrade is about improving response effectiveness and patient outcomes.

"This is about giving our responders a clearer picture of what they're walking into," she said.

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