53°F
weather icon Clear

Nye 911 system questioned by County Commission

Nye County Commission Chairman Lorinda Wichman called for a revamp of Nye County 911 and the emergency dispatch system at a meeting of the Commission on Tuesday.

Though she said she understands the logic of centralized communication, having dispatchers located in one location in the county, sacrifices are being made to the health, safety and welfare of Nye County citizens.

“I think we need to rethink that whole program,” she said. “If we have lost one life due to a dispatch error, that is way too many.”

If any of those circumstances have been experienced, the system has failed, she said, and under those conditions, the system should be re-evaluated.

Chief Dispatcher Natalie Arms bristled at Wichman’s assertions, citing human error.

“Dispatchers make errors because they are human,” she said.

The dispatching system was reorganized and consolidated in May 2014. Prior to the organization, Arms said, dispatchers in different locations in the county adhered to different standards. Standards were more “lax” in northern Nye County, she said.

Since the relocation of dispatch centers in Beatty and Tonopah to Pahrump, all dispatchers now have a support system and backup personnel to assist with “large incident” calls, such as fires or motor vehicle accidents.

Dispatchers, Arms complained, are faced with problematic callers who yell at the dispatcher, refuse to answer dispatcher questions and ask dispatchers what office they are located in. Callers are also subverting the 911 system by calling off-duty and on-duty deputies directly, she said. The argumentative nature of callers to the 911 system can delay dispatch of emergency services to a scene, she said.

Wichman responded to the claims saying that callers have been conditioned to those behaviors by struggles to get a timely response to an incident.

Arms reported that 2015 first quarter 911 dispatched calls have increased slightly to 3,580 from 2014’s first quarter report of 3,418 calls. Arms said that her review of response time remains at an average of 16-minutes per call. Each complaint regarding a delayed response time was investigated and found to be largely without merit, she reported to the Commission.

Four equipment failures have occurred within the system during the past nine months. Those failures have been attributed to repeater transmission failures, faulty cable lines and battery failure. An extended loss of service occurred on Dec. 12 which resulted in total loss of all Nye County 911-communication. The problem was resolved and a preventative maintenance and back-up policy implemented to deal with potential future outages.

Wichman asked that comparative complaint reports of pre- and post-911 consolidation be provided to the Commission by the emergency services department.

“We need to figure out where the gap is and how to fix that gap,” she said.

A department spokesperson advised callers to enable a cellphone’s GPS identification system, prior to making a 911 call. That will enable dispatchers to better pinpoint a caller’s location. All 911 calls made from cellphones are directed to the nearest cell tower and may not be to the location of the nearest 911 emergency responding agency.

Under that circumstance, it is important to relay the location (town) of an incident, Arms said.

Funding for upgrades to the Nye County 911-emergency communications system is being sought.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Looking for some family fun for Easter? Hop over to Simkins Park

Anyone looking for a fun, family-friendly festivity to enjoy this holiday can hop on over to Simkins Park to join the Mills family as they celebrate Easter Sunday with worship music, free food and an enormous 14,000-egg hunt that is sure to bring a smile to hundreds of faces.

Campground fees to increase at Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — Visitors to Death Valley National Park can expect a slight increase in entrance fees for various campgrounds beginning on May 1.

Clerk staffer Cori Freidhof appointed interim leader

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf’s time in office officially comes to a close on March 31 and deputy clerk Cori Freidhof has now been selected to assume that vacated seat. Freidhof will take over the office as of Monday, April 1 and fulfill the unexpired term ending Jan. 1, 2027.

Gaming can have impact on us

When does gaming cross the line from recreational relaxation to problematic behavior? How do video games and gambling relate? What resources are available for those who find themselves struggling to control their relationship with video games and gambling?

County eyeing impact fee increases

The cost to develop in Pahrump could go up, with a public hearing on a proposal to raise local impact fees set for next month.

Here’s who filed as political candidates in Nye County

Locals have filed their political candidacy as of March 15 and this year two major offices in Nye County will be up for grabs in the general election. Nye County residents have to first narrow down their preferred party candidate on June 11 in the primary and then vote in November to support their preferred candidates.

Second Source donation for Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace is now better off thanks to a second donation from The Source dispensary’s Round Up program.

Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.