LAKE WORTH, Texas — The Northwest Emergency Communications Center is based in Lake Worth, but the 911 dispatchers who work there are responsible for getting help to people in a much larger area outside of the region when moments matter most.
One of the voices you might hear on the other end of the telephone is Erin Harner. She has years of experience as a 911 operator.
"Scary, Stressful," said Harner. "A little rough."
That's how Harner describes her first year as a 911 Dispatcher. Now, 13 years later, she's the dispatch supervisor for the new Northwest Emergency Communications Center.
For now, the new facility is located inside the headquarters of the Lake Worth Police Department. But all the agencies combining 911 services have an equal buy-in and say. Harner has been promoted to a supervisor position, something she never expected to happen when she first started working as an operator.
"I'm excited," Harner said. "I get to be a part of it."
The new state-of-the-art 911 center will streamline calls across Northwest Texas. After a feasibility study on local emergency responses, combining 911 dispatch stations topped the list.
Now, the cities of Lake Worth and Saginaw, plus Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD, are the first to consolidate 911 services. Lake Worth police chief JT Manoushagian will serve as Executive Director.
They took a close look at other jurisdictions that have consolidated emergency services to learn more about best practices. Their resources combined will allow them to take advantage of new technology, improve response times across several northwest counties, and eliminate 911 call transfers after learning if a caller needs police, fire, or medical assistance.
"We are leveraging 5G technology to help us better locate people. Who are in need during an emergency," said Manoushagian.
Manoushagian also shared that he hopes more northwest cities and agencies will join the consolidation because it will put local emergency responders on the same page, and even being put on hold when moments matter.
NWECC has worked closely with the Tarrant County 911 District. One of the goals is to develop more partnerships with other cities and school districts as the North Texas population continues to grow.
"That's unacceptable to me," said Chief JT Manoushagian, "There is nothing that makes me sadder than when I hear about communities that are not able to provide high levels of emergency communication services. I think that the community deserves someone who is kind, competent, and compassionate on the other end of the phone when they call and our commitment to the community is that when you call NWCC, you will always find someone available to answer your call. There will never be a situation where you're put on hold for extended periods of time or where your call may go unanswered."
According to a recent performance report in January 2024, 911 dispatchers in northwest Texas answered an average of 246 calls per hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. The call volume peaked between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The new 911 center employs 8 emergency communications operators, 2 emergency communication supervisors, and 1 communications center manager. NWECC will also serve as a vital as centralized location for education and outreach.
As the new dispatch supervisor Erin Harner shared some advice for 911 callers needing help, when every moment matters.
"Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath and tell me what's going on," said Erin Harner, "I need to be able to understand you. I need you to be able to talk to me and don't talk to whatever the other situation that may be going on. If I'm asking you questions, there's a reason for it."
Harner shared that the more information dispatchers can share with emergency responders the better the outcome for getting people the help they need.