Dispatchers are the first responders when people call in emergency situations.

Iowa County Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Sarah Lahndorf says assessing the level of the emergency must be done quickly, but isn’t always easy, “It can be especially difficult when a child calls in, they don’t really have the experience in their young lives to tell what an emergency is. Or the elderly, they generally don’t want to bother anyone, especially if it’s overnight or on the weekend. The thing that people don’t understand is that as soon as 911 rings, your adrenaline starts pumping, whether it’s a medical emergency or (asking) what time the fireworks start.”

Lahndorf says training to identify real emergencies is an ongoing process. She says she has yet to experience a situation like her co-workers, Iowa County dispatchers Jaime Ochs and Makayla Coon. Last month, they helped deliver a baby by guiding the then-father-to-be with instructions over the phone so he could help mom deliver the baby. The sheriff’s office says Ochs is a seasoned dispatcher and Coon has been on the job six months and is still training.

You can hear more from Lahndorf in her extended interview during our special Public Safety Magazines at 1 and 6 p.m. today on KCII.