Provo dispatch center honored

The Provo dispatch center has received an award for its professional response to a fiery explosion at a Provo manufacturing plant that rocked the city's south side last year.

When a gaseous flame burst and injured about a dozen workers at Pacific States Iron Pipe Co. in February 2008, a handful of 911 dispatchers handled 500 percent more than their nightly call load within three hours.

The Utah Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International recognized the dispatch center by granting it the "Incident of the Year — Medium Agency Award" for answering 50 calls in the first 15 minutes.

"At the same time that we have that going on, we've got almost all of South Provo calling, saying they think their house is on fire because they've heard an explosion due to all the smoke and everything," remembered Kjirsten Adams, the graveyard-shift supervisor who was there that night. "We can't discount that — maybe there's an actual fire. So we're running out of fire units really quick."

For the next three hours, until 1 a.m., the five-member crew answered 260 distressed calls.

With steadily busy phone lines, Kjirsten used her cell phone to update the fire chief with notifications throughout the long night.

The center handles about 50 calls on a typical night, according Provo city spokeswoman Helen Anderson.

Between the calls, the team was communicating with fire, city police, sheriff, paramedic and hospital personnel.

The association's state chapter also selected Provo dispatcher Becky Berge to receive the 2008-2009 "Dispatcher of the Year Award."

The awards will be presented at the association's Spring Training and Awards Ceremony on April 17 at the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, 3365 S. 900 West, Salt Lake City.

E-MAIL: jhancock@desnews.com