BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – The Belmont County Commissioners issued a proclamation at their regular Wednesday meeting recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Bryan Minder, Belmont County 9-1-1 Director was on hand to recognize and thank the dispatchers and emergency service personnel who unfailingly respond to crises.
As part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, emergency dispatchers across the United States—and here at home in Belmont County—are being recognized for the critical role they play in keeping communities safe.
While dispatchers are unseen by the public, they are the calm, reassuring voices on the other end of the line when emergencies strike.
“These folks are the first of the first responders,” said Minder. “You may see police officers, firefighters, and EMTs in the headlines, but it all starts with our dispatchers. They’re the ones who take the initial calls, gather critical information, dispatch resources, and coordinate the response. Without them, nothing works.”
Middler, who began his career as one of Belmont County’s original 9-1-1 dispatchers in 1997, spoke about how the landscape has evolved—both in terms of technology and structure. Back then, every municipality, including Barnesville, St. Clairsville, and Martins Ferry, had their own dispatch centers. But over time, due to budget constraints and efficiency needs, many local departments consolidated under the county’s 9-1-1 system. Today, only Barnesville and Martins Ferry still maintain local dispatchers.
“That hometown connection really matters,” said Middler. “When a resident calls and the dispatcher knows who they are and exactly where they’re calling from, it speeds up the process and builds trust.”
The technology has also changed drastically. Minder said in when he started out as a dispatcher in 1997, 80% of emergency calls came from landlines, automatically providing the dispatcher with names and exact addresses. Today, the overwhelming majority—more than 85%—come from cell phones. While mobile technology has brought convenience, it has added new challenges for dispatchers, such as pinpointing accurate GPS locations and gathering caller information that used to be automatic.
“These days, we don’t always get a name or even a completely accurate location,” Minder explained. “That makes our job harder, because we have to ask more questions and verify everything. It’s more stressful, and that’s on top of the emotional weight of the calls we handle.”
Despite the growing reliance on the centralized 9-1-1 system, Middler said it’s unlikely that municipalities which gave up local dispatch will return to the old model, simply due to the costs involved. But he’s confident in the abilities of the current system and the people behind it.
As National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week continues, Minder reminded the commissioners that the critical role dispatchers play in worthy of recognition.
“Hopefully, you never have to call 9-1-1,” Middler added, “but if you do, know that there’s a highly trained voice on the other end ready to help—and that’s something worth celebrating.”
