On January 26 at 9:13 a.m., a call came into the Porter County E911 center about a "bomb threat and a possible active assailant" at Portage High School. Over the next two hours, calls came in about similar threats at Valparaiso and Wheeler high schools.
For the six dispatchers working in the E911 center, it was a challenging day.
"They dispatched 45 officers to those incidents," E911 Director Debby Gunn told the Porter County Commissioners on Tuesday. "That's not including detective bureau. They dispatched 10 total fire departments. Those are just the number of fire departments, not the number of apparatus."
The commissioners recognized the dispatchers for their response during Tuesday's meeting.
Gunn said the dispatchers not only had to deal with the potential threat, but they also continued responding to any other 911 calls that came in. They ultimately answered 113 calls in less than two hours. That meant maintaining their composure with callers and responders, while simultaneously doing the technical work of dealing with the computer software.
"It is nothing short of remarkable. It's nothing short of remarkable, and I am honored that you have recognized our center and you recognize the effort put forth by the dispatchers that are here. Thank you. We're all just very grateful," Gunn told the commissioners.
Certificates of appreciation were presented to the six dispatchers on duty that day, along with Gunn and Training Coordinator Christina Valpatic.
Commissioner Jim Biggs said he's very proud of Porter County's dispatchers. "It is a wonder when you consider that you're handling a total of more than 100 calls, very rapid-fire, and not drop the ball somewhere," Biggs noted.
Police eventually determined that the threats were not credible, and a 16-year-old Ohio boy was identified as a suspect.
