The Communications Officers/Dispatchers at Wintergreen
911 calls made via cell phone here will not be answered by the Wintergreen 911 center. Either Nelson or Augusta County will receive the call. Beginning your conversation with "I'm at Wintergreen" gets the dispatcher moving in the right direction quickly.
Wintergreen Police Department’s Communications Officers/Dispatchers carry the primary responsibility for the initial deployment of law enforcement/fire/EMS personnel and equipment to the scene of incidents within the Wintergreen community.
The process is complex. It involves monitoring and answering four 911 incoming phone lines, an E911 incoming line thru a computer/cad based answering station, and monitoring all the radio frequencies for the separate departments at Wintergreen. The communications personnel also dispatch calls related to fire and rescue units within the ‘first due’ areas of Nelson and Augusta Counties.
Communications officers have other responsibilities besides dispatching emergencies. The Communications Center is located within the gatehouse at the entrance to the mountain community. Their contact with the general public here has them answering all kinds of questions.
Joe Davis manages police communications operations.
They are also responsible for accurately recording dispatch information into the computer radio log, reviewing and retrieving information from the VCIN/NCIC teletype system, monitoring and reviewing a closed circuit video system of all vehicles entering the community, receiving and sending faxes to and from various departments and recording the activities of patrol officers on a daily basis.
Communications personnel work various shifts and, when necessary, work flexible hours. Their job requires a thorough knowledge of police/fire/EMS dispatching protocols, policies and procedures for each organization, knowledge of geography for the jurisdiction covered and surrounding areas.
They must have the ability to think and act quickly and be effective under conditions of high stress while performing multiple tasks simultaneously. They are the lifeline for communications to all emergency service personnel responding to calls of service.