We are excited to share that we have expanded our “Operation Zzz” project to include our 911 dispatchers.  Today, as a test project, we have placed weighted lap blankets in the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center to be used by their dispatchers when they are faced with stressful situations while handling phone and radio calls.  We know these folks are the life link to our firefighters, EMS personnel, and law enforcement officers in the field and many times experience stress and anxiety while working.  The Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center already sets the standard with an internal peer team to assist their people to include a quiet room where dispatchers can rest and recuperate after a bad call.

We’ve had amazing success with our firefighters, EMS personnel, and law enforcement officers  using weighted blankets for sleeping and we believe these smaller blankets can be draped over our dispatchers’ laps or around their shoulders while they work to help them during difficult and stressful times.  We intend to provide other 911 centers in our region with these blankets for their people as we evaluate this test project.

Many thanks to Jim Lake, our Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center’s Director, Allyson Burrell, the Center’s Deputy Director, and Michelle Brown, our Team’s 911 Dispatch Coordinator, for making this project possible.

Pictured here is Michelle accepting the blankets today.