Think of FPD 911 dispatchers as the ‘first, first responders’

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“Shots fired!” “Officer down!” The words resonated through Fullerton Police Lead Dispatcher Tina Ortega’s headset, frenetically reported by an officer whose traffic stop deteriorated into gunfire. The officer was wounded but alive. “That silence before you know that everything is OK … that is the longest silence,” said Ortega, an FPD dispatcher for nine years. “Your adrenaline starts going and your training kicks in and you go on autopilot.” On that call, Ortega put out continuous radio updates and assisted with coordinating units to set up a perimeter around the scene. Meanwhile, backup dispatchers called for paramedics and gathered information…


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