Hamilton County 911 dispatchers have returned from Florida after a weeklong deployment to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
On Sept. 18, six dispatchers made the 12-hour drive to Collier County, Fla., to provide more manpower to the local 911 center in handling the response in the storm's wake, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Emergency Communications District.
The response is part of an initiative known as TERT (Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce), which was formally developed at the national level following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its mission is to provide trained dispatchers for mutual aid response in the aftermath of disasters, according to the news release, and this was the first out-of-state deployment for Tennessee TERT.
Once there, the team toured the facility and met with working staff, then went to their makeshift quarters for some rest before receiving assignments for the next morning.
The team divided into two 12-hour shifts and received a crash course in the computer and phone systems used by the host agency. They handled incoming phone calls and assisted in dispatching responders, working with resident staff and other TERT members from Florida and Georgia.
"High call volumes during a disaster can quickly overwhelm a call center," the news release states. "Coupled with the ongoing response and recovery efforts, employees are also dealing with emergencies that may have affected their own homes and families."
The TERT response allowed those employees to take a break so they could check on their own families and assess damage to their homes. Many had not had an opportunity to go home since the storm first hit. Employees used cots and makeshift sleeping quarters at the operations center, with very little down time.
"The host agency personnel were extremely gracious and thankful for the extra assistance," the release states. "Team members handled up to 52 percent of the daily call load while there. They made lasting friendships and quickly bonded as a cohesive and professional team, the release states."