CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. — If no news is good news, that’s especially true at Calhoun County Dispatch Center, where bad news is always waiting on the other line.
“It’s hard to say a typical day because there’s so many unknowns in what we deal with," said Michael Armitage, executive director.
He's heard more than most in his role.
“A lot of times, you don’t know what the conclusion is, you have to move onto the next call, the phone doesn’t stop ringing," he said.
It's a ringing so stressful, even speaking about it brings Michael a visitor. Their newest employee, Hope.
She's a one-year-old Goldendoodle who works in the dispatch center.
“She literally can just sense it," said Abigail Kidder, a dispatcher.
“We actually had a really bad night the other night, some critical incidents, and she sought out people, without being prompted," she said.
Abigail has an equally important title – Hope’s mom.
“She makes her rounds throughout the night and she’ll just go and snuggle on someone’s lap and give them a moment of reprieve from the chaos we deal with," she said.
“You can almost hear the sigh of relief from them.”
Besides her brother, Hutch, at Eaton County Dispatch, Hope is a first for the area. But if dispatchers at Calhoun County get their way, she will be the norm in call centers.
“As much as you strive to have that work/life balance, there’s gonna be things you take home, there’s gonna be things that stick with you," said Abigail.
In a job that can be heavy, there's all the more need for a little light.
“Just having her here, what a difference it’s made in the mental health of dispatchers," she smiled.
In this field, they say to prepare for the worst. But in Calhoun County's Dispatch Center, Hope is the best.
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