04/17/2026
“What Call Made a Difference?”
Meet Ellie.
On April 19th, I will have my 5th anniversary at the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office as a nightshift 9-1-1 dispatcher. Throughout all the calls I have encountered, two incidents/calls have changed my perspective and made a difference in my life.
1st Call: The shift started pretty normally with EMS calls, traffic stops, accidents, and much more. The night continued, and I heard the tones go off for an incoming 9-1-1 call. I did not glance at the location first and started quickly typing up the report for when one of my worst fears came to life. My stomach dropped, and my hands started to shake. I was speaking with my sister, who was quickly stating, “Grandpa had another stroke, his face is drooping, he is slurring his words, send an ambulance to us, Ellie.”
Living in Clinton County while having a career in 9-1-1 dispatching can sometimes become heart-wrenching and difficult. Whether it is one of my family members or a close friend on the other end of the phone, I still have to remain calm and do what I do best - quickly dispatch units to arrive on scene to provide the best care possible.
2nd Incident: This second incident has changed my outlook towards holidays, more specifically, the 4th of July… On 07/04/2021 06:00 pm, I began the shift with my partner, preparing for the absolute worst that could happen. With the warm weather and excitement about celebrating our nation's independence, this holiday adds a heightened level of stress: side-by-side accidents, Carlyle Lake calls, bar events, firework explosions, and so much more. Little did my partner and I know we would be encountering almost every type of call you could possibly think of on this night!
Starting at 06:11 pm, deputies and other responding units were dispatched to the scene of a serious two-vehicle accident with injuries on State Route 127 just North of Carlyle. It was apparent that there were multiple individuals with major injuries, and a helicopter was requested to land on the scene. Around the same time of this accident, a second call was dispatched for an individual experiencing a heart attack at the Dam West Marina on Carlyle Lake, and a third call was dispatched to a fully engulfed barn fire on the west side of Clinton County. Every fire department in Clinton County was dispatched except for one! In the midst of these emergent calls, we were also managing non-emergent calls and had to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office EMS agency to respond to Clinton County to assist on calls. To say it takes a team to complete this type of shift is an understatement.
For my picture, I am choosing to post my support system - my family!
Happy 911 Telecommunications Week to all my coworkers!
