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Mahoning County proclaims Dispatcher Appreciation Week, honors two dispatchers and plays mass‑casualty radio audio
Summary
At the April 16 meeting the board recognized April 12–18 as Dispatcher Appreciation Week, heard a dispatch director praise 911 staff, played recordings from a Nov. 22, 2025 mass‑casualty response and named two dispatchers of the year.
The Mahoning County Board of Commissioners on April 16 unanimously approved a resolution recognizing April 12–18, 2026, as Dispatcher Appreciation Week and heard a detailed presentation from 911 Director Connor O'Her praising dispatch staff as “the true first responders.”
Connor O'Her described dispatchers' duties—coordinating responders, coaching callers through lifesaving steps and maintaining calm under pressure—and played radio recordings from a November 22, 2025 incident that produced a rapid surge of 911 calls. In his account, the event required a mass‑casualty response: Connor said "13 patients were transported to the hospital" and "82 people were relocated to a shelter established at Austin Talenti Elementary School," and he credited the dispatch network and mutual aid partners for managing the response.
Connor introduced audio that includes urgent radio traffic and response coordination; he also identified Captain Tom Metsinger as the primary voice on the recording. The presentation emphasized how dispatch coordination enabled responders to triage, recall staff and manage shelters, and noted that two dispatchers worked 16+ hour shifts that day.
The board recognized two employees as the county’s 2025 Dispatchers of the Year: dispatcher Carrie Humphre and dispatcher Christy Zimmer. Connor said the awards are intended to continue annually to highlight exceptional performance during complex incidents.
What was said - "I argue that the actual first responder is 911 dispatchers," Connor O'Her said, summarizing the rationale for the proclamation. - Connor described the Nov. 22 recording and public-safety coordination, and noted the on‑the‑ground numbers he attributed to that response (13 transported, 82 sheltered). Those figures were presented by Connor as part of the award nomination and recording context.
Why it matters County 911 systems are central to emergency response; the recognition and the hazmat and IT investments discussed elsewhere in the meeting underline ongoing operational priorities for dispatch reliability and interagency coordination.
Next steps The proclamation stands and the county will continue recruitment and training efforts discussed elsewhere on the agenda. The commission and attendees encouraged public recognition of dispatchers and posed no formal motions tied to the awards beyond the proclamation.
