Julie Poland manned Gorham’s dispatch center on Friday surrounded by signs.
One on the consol in front of dispatcher Christine Shepherd read, “Sold out to the lowest bidder.” Another on a bulletin board said, “Gorham dispatchers dumped.”
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said in the middle of her first shift after the town decided last week to consolidate the town’s dispatch services with Cumberland County’s.
Poland said the dispatch center has been the pulse of the community. Poland, a Gorham resident of Little Falls, has been a dispatcher in Gorham for two years. “I like living in Gorham,” she said. “It’s a great community.”
With the teamwork in Gorham Public safety, Poland knows the town’s police officers and firefighters. She knows their routines and what they have for lunch. “We’re one big happy family,” Poland said.
She knows police officer Wayne Coffin’s favorite chocolate chip cookie dough snack. Poland, who buys coffee for the officers, fears the personal element would be lost in consolidation.
She said dispatchers at county would never see the officers they work with. The teamwork came in handy on Friday night. Before rushing off to respond to a call, police officers Dean Hannon and Mike Coffin conferred personally with Poland in dispatch. They figured out a location after a caller had mistakenly given Poland some misinformation.
Poland monitors radio traffic. She knows by the sound of an officer’s voice if it’s time to send a backup unit. “You’re each other’s best friend,” she said. “When officers take a hot call, you’re concerned. Even a routine traffic stop can go south.”
From July 1, 2004, to April 1 this year, she logged more than 600 hours in over time. Poland became a dispatcher after filling out an application that two Gorham firefighters dropped off for her on a former job. “And here I am,” she said.
But dispatching has been more than a job for Poland, taking care of the community to heart. She recalled when a baby died while she was on duty. “When I learned the baby’s name, it really hit me,” she said. “I have the obituary in my wallet.”
Two years ago, Poland answered when a man who was dying called dispatch. She said he took his last breath during the call. “He was crying. It was awful,” she said.
The touching moments haven’t been forgotten. “I remember where he lived,” she said.
When an elderly woman in the Community Cares program called earlier than usual on a recent Saturday, Poland instinctively knew something was wrong. Poland asked what she was doing up so early, but the woman rushed her off the phone. “She’s been in the hospital ever since,” Poland said.
After last week’s council meeting, Poland said she was so upset that she turned to comfort food. “I went back to work and ate a half pint of Ben and Jerry’s peanut butter ice cream,” she said.
Dispatcher’s heart in Gorham job
Gorham dispatcher Julie Poland.
A sign in Gorham’s dispatch center on Friday night. “Sold out to the lowest bidder.”
Gorham dispatcher Christine Shepherd takes a call on Friday night.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
