Dispatchers Exceed National Standard

The Clay County Sheriff's Office reports that county dispatch team members far exceeded the national standard in how fast they answer 911 calls.

“Major kudos to our behind-the-scenes heroes for exceptional performance in the first half of 2023 (Jan. 1-June 30),” states the Sheriff’s Office post on social media. “Our dispatchers far exceeded national standards in how quickly they answer 911 calls, despite reduced staffing.”

The Sheriff’s Office said that the standard for answering calls is 15 seconds according to the National Emergency Number Association. Clay County dispatchers were able to exceed that standard by answering 98.4% of 911 calls within 15 seconds.

The dispatch center team members not only fields calls and sends deputies to incidents all over Clay County, but they also work with Kearney Police, Kearney Fire & Rescue Protection District members and other fire districts.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this report