I am wondering what kind of dispatch service Gothenburg is getting. I saw someone walking north of the bowling alley Thursday that looked like they needed assistance. Since I have the Gothenburg Police Department programmed in my cell phone, I called. I was put in touch with a dispatcher that insisted I give her an address. Well, I am sorry I did not have that information at my fingertips. I tried to tell her just to tell the officer “north of the bowling alley on Hwy 47” and she said she didn’t know where that was at. I said, “The officer in Gothenburg will.” I almost hung up on her and probably will not report such activity again.

However, I wonder what will happen if I have to call with a real emergency. I have heard other people talk about this same situation and am wondering what we can do about it. Are we getting the best service we can? What happened to local people who know our community? Where is this woman working from that she can’t understand the dynamics of a small town? Scares me to death.

We live in Custer County where the addresses do not match Dawson County. If the dispatcher uses our address it is very likely the rescue unit will end up a mile east of our farm with no crossroads to get back to us. However, if we are allowed to just say our names, most of the rescue unit would know how to get here. Addresses don’t always tell the whole story. We need people who understand that.