FARMINGTON — As an emergency dispatcher for Franklin County Regional Communications Center, Tyler Richards of Wilton plays a vital part in linking members of the community with emergency personnel in times of need.
Emergency Dispatcher Tyler Richards, Franklin County Regional Communications Center. (Franklin Journal photo by Dee Menear)
“The serendipity of the job is being able to do something with integrity and going above and beyond,” Richards said.
About 10 years ago, Richards was working at the former ICT Group in Wilton. “When the call center cut 60 of us, I was out of a job,” he said. “There was a position open in the dispatch center, which was part of Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at the time. My dad, who works at the jail, thought it would be a good fit and mentioned it to me.”
Richards was hired to fill a part-time dispatch position for the county. Over the last decade, he has also worked as a dispatcher in Livermore Falls and Carrabassett Valley. He took on his current position at the regional communications center in September 2014.
There is about a month of training required to become a certified emergency dispatcher, he said. The training takes place through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. Dispatchers are trained on the 911 and mapping system, which is a two day class, he said.
“Basic Telecommunications school is a week,” he added. “That is learning how to code calls. Training on the teletype system is another week.”
The teletype system is a national-base public safety communications system, he said.
There are also separate emergency medical and fire dispatch trainings that teach the unique protocol for covering those types of calls. The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch regulates the dispatch protocols. In Maine, training in fire and medical dispatch is mandated.
“People often wonder why we ask so many questions when they call,” he said. “That is so we can get the information we need to pass on to the people who are coming to assist them. As a dispatcher, my goal is to do my best to ensure everyday communication is efficient and effective.”
His best experience involved the 2018 arrest of a Massachusetts man in Chesterville who was wanted in connection with a burglary at the home of New England Patriot’s player Rob Gronkowski.
“Having to deal with a massive amount of New England media and coordinating communications with Massachusetts and Maine law enforcement was quite an experience,” he said. “Even though we are a rural community, a lot can come through here. If you’re not on top of the ball, you miss it,” he said.
Tyler quietly recalled what he said was his worst experience; one that hit close to home.
In the future, Richards would like to pursue a career in Emergency Management. He holds a degree in computer science from Central Maine Community College and is currently working toward a degree in emergency management from Arkansas State University.
“Here at the communication center we deal with individual agencies but emergency management has a much broader view. It often involves coordinating agencies throughout the county, the state and beyond,” he said.
Richards married his wife, Angela in 2015. They are foster parents and have an adopted son. Richards enjoys fishing, wilderness survival and spending time outdoors.
“Personally, my goal in life is to just keep fostering and positively impacting as many lives as we can,” he said.
dmenear@thefranklinjournal.com
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