HANOVER TOWNSHIP -- Dispatchers at the Luzerne County 911 center are being hailed for their calm under pressure and will be receiving an award for their work last year.
The 911 center is getting an outstanding service award for work back in October when an active shooter was outside a Wal-Mart near Wilkes-Barre.
On October 17, 2015, the call came into the Luzerne County 911 center of an active shooter in a parking lot in Wilkes-Barre Township.
"Really scary. I just, I didn't even know what to say or what to do,” said Shamar Moss of Wilkes-Barre.
Wilkes-Barre police Sergeant Joseph Sinavage was working that day. He was the outside supervisor for the day and remembers it well and he credits all members of law enforcement who responded plus the 911 dispatchers who called everyone out and coordinated the effort.
"They were clear, precise, let us know exactly what was going on, when it was going on, which is very good. We were trying to get as much information as we could before officers arrived on scene,” said Sergeant Joseph Sinavage of Wilkes-Barre Police.
No police officers or members of the public were injured. The suspect was shot by police and is now facing charges.
State public safety communications officials are honoring Luzerne County 911 with an outstanding service award because of the efforts that day.
"It's an honor. It's a true testament to the people who work here, my dispatchers. They're the heroes behind the headsets I refer to them as,” said Luzerne County 911 Center Executive Director Fred Rosencrans.
Not only did the dispatchers coordinate with members of law enforcement, they called all nearby businesses and told them to lock down their buildings, in an effort to keep the public safe.
"I think that's amazing. I think they did an amazing job, so congratulations to them. They did a great job,” said Moss.
The award is welcome news to those at the 911 center. There has been controversy there before.
In 2014, a dispatcher resigned after an ambulance was sent to an address in the wrong municipality for a cardiac emergency.
"850 square miles. We handle 450,000 calls a year, so we're a very big center. I really think we're turning the tables on the past and although there’s a few incidents that were kind of negative, I think for how many calls we handle a year here, it far outweighs what we do every day here,” said Rosencrans.
The Luzerne County dispatchers will be recognized Saturday at an open house at the 911 center.
They'll get the actual award in Lancaster on April 18.
