HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — Behind every emergency call to 911, there's a voice. But what happens during those calls can linger for dispatchers at the Ottawa County Central Dispatch Center.
"Until you actually do it, I don't think people really comprehend what that entails," Ottawa County Central Dispatch Training Supervisor Crystal Baker said.
Baker has worked at the dispatch center for more than 15 years.
"Eventually it snowballs, and if you don't take care of it, I think you end up with some traumatic effects," Baker said.
That's why she says being proactive matters.
"I would have known more about mental health from the beginning, being more proactive rather than reactive," Baker said.
Ottawa County Central Dispatch Executive Director Matt Groesser says that proactive mindset is shaping new efforts inside the center.
"It's not a magic wand solution. You can't do one thing and expect mental health to improve," Groesser said.
According to Baker, the center has implemented peer support teams focused on making sure that staff is doing okay.
Groesser said they've also added wellness programs that go beyond mental health, approaching support from the perspective of whole body health
Dispatchers can now stand while working, use treadmills and step machines, or step into a decompression room to reset before answering the next call.
These resources are especially important during large-scale events like the I-196 pileup.
"The other emergencies in the county don't stop either… and so after a while, it just gets to be a lot," Baker said.
Luckily, no one was killed in the pileup. But sometimes, the weight of the job stays with dispatchers on calls where the ending is different.
"I've been the last person that someone spoke to before they passed… those things never, never really leave you," Groesser said.
After months of staffing shortages, leaders say they're now closing that gap and pairing new hires with expanded mental health resources.
"You have to provide them the resources that they need and then support them along the way," Groesser said.
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