Tucked into a corner of Mountlake Terrace in an unassuming building are people who provide one of the most vital services in Snohomish County — 911 emergency service.
Over the course of their shifts, Southwest Snohomish County Communications Agency’s 33 operators answer more than 256,000 emergency calls per year. Of those calls, 122,000 are destined for service dispatch to fire, medical and police personnel throughout Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Mill Creek, Mukilteo and Woodway, plus calls coming in from marine channels and Washington State Patrol.
SNOCOM was one of the first consolidated dispatch centers in the state.
“We are the first contact citizens have with public safety,” said Debbie Grady, executive director. “We are the ambassador for our agencies and municipalities.”
Working fire dispatch one Friday swing shift, SNOCOM operator Kelly McClure’s first call was a non-injury auto accident on the Mukilteo Speedway. As her fingers flashed over her keyboard, she employed the computer-aided dispatch system to pinpoint the location of the call and quickly transferred information to the closest available fire unit for a speedy response. She remained calm, as if she was reading a child a book.
A report of a hit-and-run in the parking lot of Yost Park in Edmonds was followed by a single-car crash requiring a fire engine and an aid car. McClure notified the Snohomish County Public Utility District that a car had struck a utility pole.
Hang-ups, medical emergency calls for elderly residents, requests to unlock cars and traffic accidents all end up on McClure’s desk.
Another traffic accident report came in as a fire engine reported to McClure that they are available for another call. An aid unit reported that the driver who hit the utility pole was being transported to the hospital.
McClure’s phone rang, the call disconnected. She dialed the number to make sure all is well. It was a “pocket call,” the caller explained.
The next call came in asking for medical assistance for an elderly person, then a report of juveniles throwing rocks onto I-5.
“No call is a waste of my time,” McClure said. “That’s why we are here. A call may be a lower priority, but it is still important. We don’t refuse service, and we treat each caller as if that is the only time they are calling 911.”
A report of someone doing graffiti in Everett was transferred to that jurisdiction. A call came in about smelly fumes; McClure sent a fire unit. A report of found property in Snoqualmie was quickly transferred just as a medical call came in from Edmonds.
“I may only get a few calls every day, but when the people are happy and safe, I am happy,” she said.
An aid call came in for a multi-car accident on I-5. A burglar alarm sounded in Lynnwood, someone reported a driver cutting in the ferry line, medical aid is called for a 91-year-old and teenagers are seen drinking in an Edmonds parking lot. An aid car is requested to transport victims of the I-5 crash to the hospital.
“People are in a panic when they call us,” McClure said. “They’re upset, but we need information — where they are and what the emergency is, so we can send help. We are only as good as our callers.”
There was another car accident in Mukilteo. A call for medical aid came from Mountlake Terrace. A single-car crash in Brier and another accident in Lynnwood were reported. Smoke was sighted in Meadowdale.
Over the course of her career, one of McClure’s most challenging calls came from a Mill Creek woman, in hiding as a burglar walked through her house. “I stayed on the phone with her until help arrived,” she said. “We are people’s lifeline.”
McClure said that there are only a couple of calls each operator gets in a career that stick with them. One of hers was from an elderly man. “He died while talking to me. He wanted to just hear somebody’s voice. I haven’t forgotten him.”
“Calls involving little kids are the hardest,” McClure said. “Fortunately we get very few of those, but when you get one sometimes your day is done.”
Getting the job is not easy. Each 911 professional is trained for one year in call taking, dispatching and police and fire radio work. There is no grading curve — candidates are graded pass-fail.
As McClure prepared for her break, a report of smoke from a building on Highway 99 came in, followed by a domestic violence incident at Alderwood mall.
“Should I have called?” the caller asked.
“Definitely,” McClure calmly replied.
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