Debby Gunn

The Porter County E911 center hopes new software will speed up the dispatching process for fire departments.

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.

The Porter County E911 center wants residents to more fully take advantage of its emergency communications technology. E911 Director Debby Gunn told the county commissioners last week that the agreement with Rave Mobile Safety includes a number of tools.

The Porter County E911 center is looking into ways to help dispatchers manage the stress of their job. E911 Director Debby Gunn says dispatchers can be thought of as the project managers of public safety.

Porter County is having trouble keeping 911 dispatchers. E911 Director Debby Gunn told the county commissioners Tuesday that 17 employees have left over the last year and a half.