{"id":2457393,"date":"2020-04-19T21:44:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T03:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/pitkin-county-911-from-troubled-to-best-in-state\/"},"modified":"2020-04-20T07:47:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T13:47:13","slug":"pitkin-county-911-from-troubled-to-best-in-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/pitkin-county-911-from-troubled-to-best-in-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitkin County 911: From troubled to best in state"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/dispatch-atd-042020-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Dispatchers work Friday in the Pitkin County emergency 911 dispatch center, which was recently named the best of the 86 such agencies in the state. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/><em>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Four years ago, the situation at Pitkin County\u2019s 911 emergency dispatch center was on the brink of disaster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Chronic problems at the critical agency, including understaffing, low morale, low pay and employee wellness issues, coupled with an inability to find a director, led Sheriff Joe DiSalvo and other officials to consider possibly going to a regional solution with Grand Junction as the hub.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe were struggling to find a leader,\u201d DiSalvo said. \u201cThen all of a sudden, along comes Brett Loeb, who is basically the savior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Loeb, who was working as a supervisor at the 911 dispatch center in Grand Junction, was hired as the Pitkin County director in November 2016. A week ago \u2014 three-and-a-half years later \u2014 two national trade organizations named Pitkin County\u2019s Regional Emergency Dispatch Center <a id=\"N0x15630a0N0x1395c40:N0x15630a0N0x158a038\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/pitkin-countys-911-center-named-best-in-state\/\">tops in Colorado<\/a>, best of the 86 such call centers in the state.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/at-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think it\u2019s a big deal,\u201d DiSalvo said. \u201cFor a small center like us that has had a lot to overcome just to keep staffing levels up to be picked over major centers in Arapahoe County and Denver is huge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBrett deserves a lot of credit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Loeb welcomed the recognition after the past year, like most, brought more staffing issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOur world is always difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cDispatchers are used to being in the background and not getting much attention, so when they do it really helps with morale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The award for the best 911 call center in the state came from the National Emergency Number Association and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, which operate a joint chapter in Colorado.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In particular, the group was impressed by Pitkin County commissioners\u2019 designation of 911 dispatchers as \u201cfirst responders\u201d alongside police officers, firefighters and paramedics, Loeb said. The designation, which came in October, doesn\u2019t convey financial benefits, though it does elevate dispatchers from a job that was previously thought of as \u201cclerical,\u201d and allows them to take advantage of certain benefits available to the emergency first responder community, DiSalvo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019re learning that (post-traumatic stress syndrome) is just as prevalent in dispatchers (as police officers and other first responders),\u201d Loeb said, \u201cand sometimes worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dispatchers are trained in many different medical scenarios so they can advise callers who can\u2019t wait for paramedics or other help. A Pitkin County dispatcher helped a woman give birth by the side of the highway about a year ago, Loeb said (\u201cIt was a boy, I think\u201d). They also must master evolving technologies and deal with stress not present in most jobs, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In short, 911 dispatchers must perform under sometimes extreme pressure \u201cjust as much as a first responder in the field,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The first responder designation in Pitkin County \u2014 the first in the state \u2014 has caught on in Colorado and beyond, Loeb said. Five other Colorado counties have since followed suit, including Mesa County, which named dispatchers as first responders late last week, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In addition, a group in California is modeling a statewide effort there on Pitkin County\u2019s recognition of local dispatchers, Loeb said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThey\u2019ve all come to us for the template,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">DiSalvo said the county was able to adjust dispatchers\u2019 pay and make it more competitive, while moving the dispatch center from next to the Pitkin County Jail downtown to the North Forty Fire Station has made the commute significantly better. In addition, he credited Loeb with revamping the dispatcher training program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s off the charts,\u201d DiSalvo said, \u201cand it\u2019s caught on a national scale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Loeb said 911 dispatcher-training methods hadn\u2019t been updated since the 1970s, and featured an \u201cold school,\u201d top-down-style curriculum that didn\u2019t resonate with today\u2019s workers. That new way of presenting the same information has made training \u201cmore rewarding and successful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Loeb also has instituted <a id=\"N0x15630a0N0x1395ca0:N0x15630a0N0x158a9c8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/pitkin-county-deputies-dispatchers-gaining-mindfulness\/\">mindfulness training for dispatchers<\/a>, which he said has helped alleviate stress and trauma that comes with the job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He also has been busy on the 911 technology front. Pitkin County\u2019s \u201cPitkin Alert\u201d system is a good example, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Counties are only allowed to send out alerts through cell towers in their own county area, which can be problematic if a geographic area, like the Roaring Fork Valley, includes more than one county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After the 2018 <a id=\"N0x15630a0N0x1395d00:N0x15630a0N0x158ac08\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk\/html5\/reader\/production\/default.aspx?pubname=&amp;edid=0183b280-c168-4395-9869-355059fe54b4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lake Christine Fire<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> in the midvalley exposed that flaw, Loeb applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and received permission to include Garfield and Eagle counties in necessary future alerts, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In addition, Pitkin County is working to implement technology that allows backcountry enthusiasts with satellite communication devices to communicate directly with local 911 dispatchers, Loeb said. The technology was developed by officials in Lake County, Wyoming, and allows the satellite device companies to patch together dispatchers and those in need of help, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAll that happened last year,\u201d Loeb said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Pitkin County Manager Jon Peacock praised Loeb\u2019s leadership in announcing the 911 dispatch center award to county commissioners, and DiSalvo repeatedly lauded Loeb for turning around an essential community resource.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cHe\u2019s done unbelievable things since he\u2019s been here,\u201d DiSalvo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Loeb appeared less inclined to take any credit and gave most of it to his staff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt was great,\u201d he said of the award. \u201cI was very happy we got recognition for all the good things we did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The award usually comes with a banquet and $500 check, Loeb said. And while the coronavirus pandemic will cancel the banquet, he said he\u2019ll wait for better, more social days to throw an appreciation party with the money.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ll do it as soon as we can,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll celebrate with everybody hopefully later this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:jauslander@aspentimes.com\">jauslander@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/pitkin-county-911-from-troubled-to-best-in-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dispatchers work Friday in the Pitkin County emergency 911 dispatch center, which was recently named the best of the 86 such agencies in the state. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Four years ago, the situation at Pitkin County\u2019s 911 emergency dispatch center was on the brink of disaster. Chronic problems at the critical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2457393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 02:57:29","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2457419,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457393\/revisions\/2457419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}