Telecommunicator Spotlight: Telecommunicator Karen Williams
Karen Williams, 54, is a senior calltaker for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the public safety communications arena in Prince George’s County, Md. She has extended duties, serves as a Spanish translator, is a certified training officer and has served in the position for eight years.
Originally from New York City, Williams attended high school in Puerto Rico. She always had a desire to get into the public service sector: “I wanted to do something that meant something to me. I wanted to help people,” Williams says. She did her research and talked with a neighbor who is a detective. Five months later she was hired. “Every day brings new challenges, and a lot of opportunity to grow. I like the people I work with. We all support each other. I like learning,” Williams says.
In her position, Williams takes emergency calls for service for both police and fire, and her job requires her to be able to distinguish between emergency and non-emergency calls. She has to follow protocols and be able to use resources properly, read a map, know how to operate a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) terminal and understand digital operations and computerized systems. Often, Williams looks at four computer screens with four things going on at once. She may be on the phone, looking at a map, working the CAD, looking at another map pinpointing where she is sending units and noting the call type and call number. Williams manages multiple duties while she is on the phone with a citizen.
Williams recognizes that she has to quickly diffuse the caller’s emotions and enable the person to provide as much information as possible in a matter of seconds. Her department follows the National Academy Protocols that originated in Salt Lake City and provide consistency with service and knowledge. She knows the key questions to ask in order to obtain accurate information. This helps Williams determine the type of service that is required and send out the appropriate unit.
Williams also has to understand the various signal codes and call types. She has to be able to deal with non-hearing individuals and knowing the CAD system helps her deal with those situations. She has to prioritize information and be able to run various types of record checks. These tasks are critically important in processing citizen requests and ensuring the safety of the responders.
Williams admits the only way these skills can be obtained is through extensive training that consists of a five-week classroom course with mock scenarios, along with book work. Once on the floor, the employee receives one-on-one training for 48 days. “We have a certain standard we have to maintain. We have our own training,” Williams says.
She admits it is important to have experience with the radio. “We’re there before anyone gets to the scene. We are the first responders. We’re the ones that keep these people together,” she says.
Williams once helped deliver a baby over the phone, by assisting a 9-year-old child during the mother’s emergency. “It was very empowering, especially when everything turned out fine,” she says. Williams received a letter of recommendation from the department for how she handled the call. In the past, she also received a Unit Citation and several internal awards for her job performance.
When Williams leaves work following her four day, 10-hour shift, she moves into a different environment. “I’m done with my shift and am going on to my other world,” she says. Williams enjoys working in the garden, “That keeps me sane,” she says. She also enjoys going out to lunch, watching movies, travelling and going to the gym. Married with one son, Williams also has three dogs.
Williams encourages others to visit the 9-1-1 center and do a “sit-along.” This allows the individual, who may consider entering the profession, to observe a competent professional and provides an opportunity to ask questions and make an educated decision. “I’d like to invite them to come sit by me. I’ll make them a believer. Put on a headset and watch the magic happen, because it does,” Williams says.
Williams has prior military experience, and she has established an interesting career. “I’ve been building it by being diverse in the things that I do. I’m at a point where it’s winding down because of my age. I’m looking at doing another eight years. I find working in this field the next best thing to the military,” she says. Though she works both the police and fire, Williams prefers working the police side. “It’s more unpredictable. Things can turn and snap in seconds. It keeps you on your toes. The human factor is more interesting to me. It’s just challenging,” she says.
Speaking of challenges, Williams has successfully met many of them throughout her career and her life. A breast cancer survivor, she was out of work for a period of time. “Everybody helped out. It was a wonderful thing,” Williams says. She has been back at work now 1 ½ years. “This cancer thing has changed me,” she says. Her determination and compassion have strengthened her to impact those she serves in various and positive ways.
About the Author
Karen L. Bune serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and Marymount University in Virginia, and is a consultant for the Training and Technical Assistance Center for the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. She is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on public safety issues. Bune is Board Certified in Traumatic Stress and Domestic Violence, and she is a Fellow of The Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management. She serves on the Institutional Review Board of The Police Foundation, Washington, D.C.