Heather Sorrels
Lake Charles,LA
Summary
Attentive Police Dispatcher bringing 18 years of experience prioritizing emergency calls to dispatch appropriate services. Calm, compassionate and kind professional with in-depth knowledge of multi-line telephone systems and basic office equipment. Skillful in handling high-tension, emergency situations while accurately relaying information to public safety personnel.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Police Dispatcher
Sulphur Police Department
06.2005 - Current
- Coordinated multi-agency responses for large-scale incidents, resulting in effective resource allocation and successful outcomes.
- Handled sensitive situations with professionalism, maintaining confidentiality while collecting necessary information from callers for effective intervention.
- Managed high-stress situations effectively, utilizing active listening skills and empathy to provide support to those involved in emergencies or traumatic events.
- Maintained a calm and reassuring presence during high-pressure situations, ensuring clear communication between callers, officers, and other agencies involved in emergency response.
- Supported public safety initiatives by gathering relevant data from callers for accurate dispatching of appropriate resources.
- Received 911 and non-emergency calls and dispatched calls to appropriate agencies and officers on duty.
- Used specialized software to track and maintain case incident numbers and logs.
- Questioned callers to determine nature of problems and locations to direct type of response needed.
- Contributed to officer safety by diligently monitoring radio traffic and providing timely status checks.
- Mentored new dispatchers to facilitate their smooth integration into the team, improving overall efficiency of the department.
- Entered criminal record checks, driver's license numbers and warrants into telecommunications systems to fulfill officer requests.
- Maintained a high level of accuracy in data entry, ensuring all incident reports were complete and uptodate.
- Streamlined information sharing with other departments by developing comprehensive call summaries for interagency use.
- Utilized advanced mapping software to accurately pinpoint caller locations, aiding officers in swift response times during emergencies.
- Operated telephone and radio equipment to receive requests and reports from police officers, medical dispatch and firefighting crews.
- Enhanced response times by efficiently prioritizing and dispatching emergency calls.
- Contributed to department''s overall safety by consistently monitoring officer locations and providing timely assistance when needed.
- Provided critical support during natural disasters, coordinating resources and relaying vital information between agencies for efficient response efforts.
- Ensured continuous improvement in operations by participating in ongoing dispatcher trainings and staying current with best practices.
- Reduced false alarms through diligent verification procedures before initiating police response.
- Assisted in reducing crime rates by providing crucial information to officers during investigations and patrol activities.
- Completed appropriate forms and radio announcements for police department needs such as BOLO requests.
- Received public emergency and non-emergency calls and supervised response prioritization in order to effectively dispatch official units such as police, fire, and EMS while tracking data in real-time environments.
- Assisted callers in emergency situations with appropriate information and support.
- Applied interpersonal skills in neutralizing hostile and emotionally charged situations.
- Routed calls to police, fire, and ambulance service to meet individual call needs.
- Operated emergency response systems to update and retrieve up-to-date information for first responders.
- Relayed latest information to first responders via electronic means, telephone calls, and radio responses.
Education
Associate of Applied Science -
Lamar State College - Orange
Orange, TX05.2025
Skills
- Public Safety Awareness
- Data Entry
- Incident Prioritization
- Information Gathering
- Memory retention
- Typing Speed
- Multi-line phone system
- Records Maintenance
- Prioritizing Situations
- Dependable and Responsible
- Critical Thinking
- Computer Skills
- Active Listening
- Decision-Making
- Dispatch Coordination
- Computer-aided dispatching
- NCIC Database
- Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST)
- Flexible Schedule
- Providing Clear Directions
- Radio Frequencies Monitoring
- Information documentation
- Police and fire procedures
- Map reading skills
- Map Reading
- Documentation
- Information intake
- Documentation And Reporting
- Public Safety Telecommunicator
- Data Systems Operation
- Information Relay
- Call Management
- Telephone Etiquette
- Communications Training Officer (CTO)
- Unit Dispatch
- Call Records Maintenance
- Emergency Police Dispatcher Certification
- Call Routing
- Communications Training Officer
- Verbatim Transcription
Timeline
Police Dispatcher
Sulphur Police Department
06.2005 - Current
Associate of Applied Science -
Lamar State College - Orange
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