The First Voice in an Emergency: Honoring Red Willow County Dispatchers

McCOOK, Neb. — When someone in Red Willow County calls 911, the calm voice on the other end is often the first link in a chain of help.

As Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, observed April 12–18, 2026, recognizes dispatchers across the country, McCook’s communications team is also being highlighted for the work they do behind the scenes every hour of every day.

While the public often sees police officers, deputies, firefighters, and EMS crews responding on scene, those responses begin in dispatch.

“We are truly the first first responders,” said Jennifer Doucet, McCook’s 911 coordinator.

The McCook Communications Division provides enhanced 911 service for all of Red Willow County and dispatches for seven agencies, serving as a critical connection between the public and emergency responders.

Doucet said the job is much more involved than many people realize.

From the moment a 911 call comes in, dispatchers are working to confirm a location, understand what is happening, enter the call for service, notify the appropriate agency, and stay on the line with the caller when needed all while continuing to monitor radio traffic and other incoming calls.

“The first priority is always location,” Doucet explained during a recent visit to the dispatch center.

That focus on location is especially important because callers are not always able to clearly describe where they are, particularly in moments of panic or confusion. To help with that, McCook dispatchers use a range of technology tools designed to improve accuracy and response times.

Among them is What3Words, a system that assigns a unique three-word combination to every 10-foot-by-10-foot square in the world. Doucet said the tool can be especially useful in rural areas or unfamiliar places when a caller does not know an address but can provide their three-word location.

The center also uses RapidSOS, which can provide more accurate location information from mobile devices and now has the ability to help map some landlines as well.

McCook dispatch can also receive text-to-911 messages, giving people another way to reach emergency services when speaking out loud may not be possible or safe.

Another tool Doucet encourages the public to explore is emergencyprofile.org, where people can voluntarily create an emergency profile that includes medical conditions, allergies, and emergency contacts.

She said that information can be especially valuable in situations where a caller is unable to fully communicate.

For example, if someone is diabetic, having a medical condition listed in their emergency profile may help dispatchers provide more useful information to EMS before crews arrive on scene.

Doucet said those tools matter, but technology is only part of the job.

The work also demands constant multitasking, clear communication, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

In 2025, McCook Dispatch handled 24,113 total calls, including 3,902 911 calls and 20,211 administrative line calls. That works out to an average of just over 66 calls per day.

In 2024, dispatch handled 26,564 total calls, including 3,885 911 calls and 22,679 administrative calls, averaging nearly 73 calls per day.

And those figures only tell part of the story.

Doucet said every radio transmission also has to be logged. In 2024, dispatch entered 78,158 radio messages for Red Willow County. In 2025, that number was 70,510.

Dispatchers are also responsible for creating the calls for service that officers, deputies, fire, and EMS personnel rely on as they respond and complete their reports.

“If we don’t start it, they can’t finish it,” Doucet said.

The department is currently staffed by six full-time dispatchers, plus Doucet.

Even when fully staffed, the schedule is demanding. Dispatch operates around the clock, and Doucet said the team often steps up for one another to cover vacations, illness, and emergencies.

It is a job, she said, that requires the right temperament and a strong support system.

Some calls are routine. Others are heartbreaking. Some are confusing, urgent, or unexpectedly dangerous. And while dispatchers are trained to keep working through those moments, Doucet said the team’s support for one another is essential.

“It’s go, go, go,” she said. “That 911 call comes in and it is game on.”

McCook Police Chief Kevin Hodgson said the team’s role is vital and often misunderstood.

He said dispatchers are often balancing emergencies, public safety concerns, radio traffic, and communication between agencies all at once.

The public recognition comes less than a year after Doucet was honored at a May 5, 2025, McCook City Council meeting for receiving the 2025 Laura Becker Memorial Award from the Nebraska Emergency Communication Services Association.

The award recognized her work in strengthening dispatch operations through policy creation, multi-site coordination, CAD and RMS support, and inter-agency communication across the region.

At the time, Hodgson praised Doucet’s leadership and dedication, while Doucet redirected the recognition back to the entire dispatch team.

She said then and still believes now that the strength of the center comes from the people behind the headsets.

During Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, that is the message local officials hope the community remembers.

Dispatchers may not arrive in a patrol car, ambulance, or fire truck, but they are often the first voice people hear on one of the worst days of their lives.

And in Red Willow County, that voice is backed by training, technology, teamwork, and a commitment to getting help where it needs to go.

“There’s so much good too that comes out of it,” Doucet said. “I just don’t think people understand what we do and the importance of it.”