Watertown Regional 911 Center Expands Emergency Response Technology Across Six Northeast South Dakota Counties

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Watertown Regional 911 Center Manager Troy VanDusen recently joined Northeast Radio SD to discuss the center’s regional impact, technological advancements, and his personal reflections on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

VanDusen, who was a Watertown police officer on September 11, 2001, reflected on how local public safety, commercial flight groundings, and local infrastructure protection dramatically evolved in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

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Regional Dispatch Operations

·        Coverage Area: The Watertown Regional 911 Center, owned and operated by the City of Watertown, provides emergency dispatch services for six counties: Codington, Clark, Deuel, Day, Grant, and Hamlin.

·        Call Volume: The center processes approximately 65,000 phone calls annually, with roughly 14,000 being direct 911 emergency calls. The remaining volume consists of administrative and non-emergency lines.

·        Staffing & Recognition: The center employs dispatchers from diverse professional backgrounds, including former nurses, school teachers, and paramedics. This year, three dispatchers are slated to be recognized with Lifesaving Awards at the upcoming Police Department Awards Banquet.

Technological Advancements in Emergency Response

·        Live-Stream Video: Dispatchers can send a link to a 911 caller’s smartphone, allowing the center to view real-time live video of car accidents, structure fires, or other emergencies. This gives responding units critical visual context before they even arrive on the scene.

·        CodeRED Alert System: The center utilizes CodeRED to push critical emergency notifications. The system features precise geofencing capabilities, allowing dispatchers to isolate specific city blocks for targeted warnings during localized emergencies, such as a gas main break requiring a neighborhood evacuation.

·        Streamlined Weather Notifications: To prevent unnecessary late-night phone disturbances, the center adjusted the CodeRED system to halt automated midnight phone calls for standard severe thunderstorm warnings. However, the system will still bypass silent settings and initiate automated phone calls at any hour for active tornado warnings.