Broken Arrow Police Searching For 911 Dispatchers

Broken Arrow Police said there is a serious need for 911 dispatchers.

"I don't know that I can put into words how important it is, we are the immediate first link within one to three rings for help," said dispatcher Lisa Smith.

Smith has been a dispatcher in Broken Arrow for 24 years. She said in that time, the department has only been fully staffed one time for two weeks.

Smith said that's largely because of the stress of the job.

"I tell people often, 'Nobody calls 911 on their best day,' so we have to be able to work with people rapidly, through physical and emotional stress in order to get them an appropriate response for a safe resolution to what's happening then," Smith said.

The dispatchers started a new computer program a few months ago, but the training would be in-depth, and you'd learn everything you need to know for the job, Smith said.

She said it can be challenging with many open positions.

"There are often times, due to the staffing shortage we have, where we don't have call takers, so the dispatches are answering the phones, and in conjunction trying to dispatch an active call they are trying to work through with a member of our community who needs help," she said.

Smith said while the job can be tough, she's glad she's a dispatcher and is grateful for the impact she can make.

"People are one of my driving forces in life. And one of the reasons I love it so much, is because I know in that moment in someone's life, that's exactly where I am supposed to be," she said.

Smith said the department also has sit-a-longs where you can watch the dispatchers at work if you are interested in the job.

For more information on how to apply, you can visit the city website by clicking here.