For the past several years, Public Safety Agencies nationwide have recognized the pivotal role played by public safety dispatchers, who utilize telephones, radios, computers and technical skill to provide support to Law Enforcement, Fire Services, Emergency Medical Services and other governmental field personnel.

Each year, the second week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety dispatchers. In 1991, Congress proclaimed it as a nationally recognized week of recognition. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office celebrates this year’s National Public Safety Dispatchers Week – April 5th – 11th in honor of their dedicated dispatchers who handle several thousand 9-1-1 calls each month. They dispatch deputies and coordinate with allied agencies for other law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services response to those in need.

The 23 dedicated personnel of Sheriff’s Central Dispatch work around the clock, all year long, to support the deputies in the field and help keep the public safe. Sheriff D’Agostini recently presented, Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher, Cortney Barbot with the Civilian Supervisor of the Year award and Public Safety Dispatcher, Samantha Humphrey with the Dispatcher of the Year award.

Sheriff D’Agostini along with the Deputy Sheriffs of El Dorado County appreciate all of our dispatchers and take comfort knowing they are always there with skilled, compassionate help when we have an emergency.

Here are some interesting statistics from our Dispatch Center:
Total calls for service in 2014 – 72,178
Most common calls for service in 2014:
Traffic 9,659 * Medical & Fire Assists 7,425 * Alarm Activations 4,059 * Follow-ups 4,126 * 911 hang-ups 3,272 * Relay (to other agencies) 4,440 * Suspicious Subjects 3,511 * Suspicious Vehicles 2,227.

Below we have included information on things everyone needs to know about the 9-1-1 Emergency System and how to make the 9-1-1 system work for you.

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There will be a special guest at this Thursday’s Welcoming Ceremony for new-hires and person’s promoted within the Sheriff’s Office. During the ceremony, there will be a pause to recognize El Dorado County resident Joan Coffin. Joan will be on hand to donate about 50 of her special teddy bears to the Sheriff’s Office as Comfort Bears.

Comfort Bears are little soft squeezable stuffed animals that can bring calm, comfort, and stability to children who are going through frightening or stressful times. Mrs. Coffin’s donations are from her heart, each decorated by her own hand. The bears are part of what she calls Joanie’s Joy, as she has been donating teddy bears to the local CHP Office for years. Joan hopes her creations will also someday find themselves in local fire trucks for children who just need something to hug and hold close. We at the Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Joan for allowing us to carry her special gift in our patrol cars or have available at our offices. They will truly comfort kids when they need it the most.
Lt. Tom Murdoch

Today at about 1:05PM the Sheriff’s Office received a call of a suspicious subject on the El Dorado Center – Folsom Lake College campus threatening to blow up the college and claiming to have a gun. Sheriff’s deputies responded, area schools were put in lockdown, and the Los Rios Community College District Police was notified. Officers from Placerville Police Department arrived for mutual aid. As the event developed, the Sheriff’s Office had not only several patrol deputies, but detectives from investigative units, school resources officers and members of the Office of Emergency Services arrive to help. This was mostly due to having several campuses in close proximity and a large area that needed to be searched. At about 1:20PM, a male was located by a sheriff’s deputy at the college that somewhat matched the description of the person who made the threat. At 2:18PM another male at the college was detained by deputies as the investigation continues.
Even though there were no reports of injury or that any threat had been carried out, each parking lot and every room in every building, and each student and staff member of all four schools are being checked. Incoming parents were asked to wait in Green Valley Church’s parking lot on Missouri Flat Road until the search was complete and each campus made safe. A deputy waited with the parents to keep them informed. Parents were asked not drive to the schools so that the search could be quicker with less interference or confusion.
Schools that were put on lockdown were Indian Creek Elementary, the County Office of Education, Charter School, and the El Dorado Center of Folsom Lake College.
Update: As of 2:40PM this afternoon, the schools were released from lockdown.
Lt. Tom Murdoch