Dispatcher of the Year remembers compassion

The 2013 Dispatcher of the Year, Meghan Monaco, is honored by the Putnam County Commissioners at their recent meeting. Commissioner President Don Walton presents Monaco with a plaque in honor of the accomplishment as fellow Commissioners David Berry (left) and Max Watts look on.

Meghan Monaco wants to help people. It's obvious with her two jobs -- a volunteer firefighter and an evening shift supervisor for the 911 dispatch.

Monaco was chosen for the Dispatcher of the Year Award last week, but 911 Dispatch Director Dave Costin said she had this coming for a while.

"She's been decided upon since the end of 2012," Costin said. "We just didn't tell her yet."

Monaco has a sense of humor that is needed for a dispatcher, Costin said.

"It can get gruesome in here," he said.

Costin remembers one particular day when Monaco stood out. A man was threatening suicide, and officers responded to the call.

"It was a very tense situation," he said. "She was one of three dispatchers on the call. It's one of the worst-case scenarios for us -- responders in danger."

An officer ended up with a knife wound, and Monaco coordinated so an ambulance was on scene and proper responders were notified.

Putnam County's 911 dispatchers receive about 60 calls a day.

"It's easy for us to become callous," Costin said. "You got to take the extra step and put yourself in (the callers') shoes."

Monaco reminds people of that every day.

"She's a champion in that regard to keep that in our mind," he said. "We get kind of numb after hearing things like that, and it's hard to flip it around."

With her other job as a volunteer firefighter, Monaco has a lot of experience with public safety.

"She sees what goes on while we just hear a voice on the phone," Costin said. "You got to take the extra step and put yourself in their shoes."

The 911 dispatchers never know what their day will be like.

"Some days we receive so many calls, and they day is flying by," Monaco said. "If I had a horrible emergency, I would want someone to be calm and compassionate with me."

The job can be unique, Monaco said.

"You always go through the emotions that your caller goes through, and sometimes you feel helpless as a dispatcher," she said.

But she stays calm while on the phone, and the emotions hit after the call.

"We're just a voice on the phone, but without us, you can't get help started," she said. "I care about the callers. It's hard not to get attached to the call. You wonder what happens after they get to the hospital or if everything will turn out all right."

Monaco considers any call involving a child -- a bawl call.

"It's very, very hard to deal with," she said. "But you have to keep the caller calm."

There are some fun stories heard while being a dispatcher.

A hunter was out all day waiting for a deer.

"He didn't see a deer the whole day," Monaco said. "But he hit one on the way home. ... We dispatchers never know what our day is going to be like."