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911, What’s Your Emergency? Tales From Dispatch

When you call 911, it most likely means you’re having a stressful, unpredictable, scary experience. It could be the worst day of your life, or someone else’s.  But what’s it like on the other side of that call? 

Hear about life as an emergency dispatcher here in Connecticut, throughout the country, and even during the massive temporary city in the desert that is Burning Man.

Join the conversation onFacebook,Twitter, and email.

GUESTS:

  • Clayton Northgraves is the Director of Emergency Telecommunications for the State of Connecticut
  • Wanda Brown worked as an emergency dispatch operator in Lynchburg, VA for 27 years. She retired in May of 2018
  • Nanci Tatum of Westminster, CO, worked in emergency dispatch for 33 years. She retired in 2017
  • Tanto Goldstein of Los Angeles, CA, is an emergency dispatch volunteer for Burning Man

Jessica Severin de Martinez and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.

Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public, spotlighting the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.
Jessica Severin de Martinez is a producer for Audacious with Chion Wolf.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.