Tampa Bay 24/7: Inside Manatee County’s 911 center

Tampa Bay 24/7: Manatee County 911 dispatchers

FOX 13 photojournalist Ryan French introduces us to the staff at the Manatee County Emergency Communications Center who work through the night to keep the area safe.

BRADENTON, Fla. - While most of the Tampa Bay area is fast asleep, the phones at the Manatee County Emergency Communications Center never stop ringing.

Inside the 911 call center, a team of night-owl telecommunicators works through the night, calmly guiding callers through some of the worst moments of their lives.

Big picture view:

The Manatee County ECC is located in Bradenton and serves as a regional 911 answering point.

Manatee County Fire, EMS, Sheriff and Bradenton Police telecommunicators work from the same building. The call-takers process all 911 calls for law enforcement, fire, and EMS. They also dispatch fire and medical calls directly. Law enforcement-related calls are then transferred to sheriff or police dispatchers for further handling by their own staff.

What they're saying:

Christina Wuerzberger, a senior telecommunicator on the night shift, says the team is like a second family.

"We see each other more than we see our own families," she explained. "This is our home away from home."

Pictured: Christina Wuerzberger, a senior telecommunicator on the night shift.

ECC dispatchers work 12-hour shifts and the night shift begins at 7 p.m.

From medical emergencies to traffic accidents and burglaries, they handle call after call – often juggling multiple ongoing emergencies at once. During our time in the ECC, a reckless driver call resulted in an injury accident. A rental property was burglarized while a woman and child were inside. Plus a multitude of 911 hang-ups, which require follow-up to make sure no one had a real emergency.

Dig deeper:

Their impact is measurable in many ways. In just March and April, Manatee County telecommunicators were credited with helping save 11 lives by coaching callers through CPR over the phone. A leaf with the name of the dispatcher and how many "saves" they have is pinned to a tree. It serves as a visual reminder that dispatchers are also first responders.

Joseph Garmyn, a shift training officer, says the job is one of constant learning.

"If you're not learning, you should no longer be in this field," he said. "It’s forever changing."

Pictured: Joseph Garmyn, shift training officer.

Each 911 call starts with critical questions including confirming the location, phone number, and details about the emergency. While advanced technology assists, the most valuable information still comes from the caller. "Our best conduit of information is still going to be that caller," Garmyn says.

Many callers become frustrated and assume that this line of questioning delays response time. Dispatchers want to assure the public that help is often already on the way. Updates are provided digitally to first responders while they’re en route.

The work can be emotionally taxing. Dispatchers often carry the stress home, especially when calls involve children or life-threatening emergencies.

"You are a human first and foremost," Garmyn said. "As much as you don't want to and you're not supposed to, you're going to take it home with you."

The Manatee County 911 Center processes around 23,000 emergency calls every month.

The Journal of Emergency Dispatch says nationwide, about 25% of public safety communicators leave the profession in less than a year. Manatee County provides telecommunicators mental health resources, including a "calm room" within the ECC where dispatchers can decompress after a tough call.

The Manatee County 911 Center processes about 23,000 emergency calls every month – each one a potential life-or-death situation handled with skill, compassion, and composure.

Despite the stress, the reward is clear.

"My favorite part by far is being able to help people," Wuerzberger said. "I live in this county. I love helping the people I work for."

If you have an idea for an overnight job to feature in our Tampa Bay 24-7 series, email us at gooddaytampabay@fox.com.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Ryan French.

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