Editor’s Note: Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt’s letter (below) is in response to two articles published in the Reporter. Our article entitled “First first responders shine,” published June 3, 2018, detailed the role of local 911 dispatchers during the May 25 shooting at Noblesville West Middle School. The second article Heirbrandt refers to, entitled “County 911 sets statewide example,” published July 12, 2018, discusses an award presented to Hamilton County Public Safety Communications Executive Director Mike Snowden for helping establish statewide training standards for 911 dispatchers.
Dear Editor:
On May 25 at 9:12 a.m., I received contact from Mike Snowden, Executive Director of Communications, indicating an Active Shooter Assailant at Noblesville West Middle School. Even though it’s been weeks since it happened, I think about it every day. It will be a day that I never forget.
I had a sick feeling all over when I first received this message and thought there is no way this is happening here.
I was approximately 10 minutes away from the Emergency Dispatch Department, which is located at the Hamilton County Jail Complex. Immediately I headed there to see what I might be able to do to help. Little did I know, I would spend most of the day at Dispatch and at press conferences throughout the day.
My first response as I walked into the County Dispatch room was how calm and professional all of the dispatchers were. The dispatchers were being inundated with 911 phone calls from parents, students, teachers and other counties and community groups offering assistance … the list goes on and on. I am down in the Dispatch Center quite a bit and know many of the dispatchers personally. They handled the situation with grace and helped each and every person that called in.
I saw off-duty dispatchers running into the dispatch room saying, “Give me a console,” so they could help with the calls. To see this made me proud of how our community comes together so quickly, all working collaboratively.
We were so focused that day that it really did not sink in exactly what had happened until I got home and saw it on every major television station and national news media outlet. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from businesses and residents.
The collaboration of law enforcement from cities, counties and towns that day was so impressive. I remember leaving to go to the press conference from the Dispatch Center and seeing officers that I knew from Cicero, Westfield, Fishers, Carmel and Noblesville directing traffic. Everyone was there to help. It was gratifying to know that our law enforcement personnel trained for an active shooter response during spring break and even the day before this event even happened.
As I sit here and try to write out my thoughts of that day, I continue to get chills, as I will never forget what happened that day. Hearing stories about the calls coming in were gut-wrenching. So many kids and citizens in our community were in fear.
I’m thankful for those in our community who acted quick, calm and professional in this situation, and with so, so much compassion. We were as prepared as we could be. We will continue to focus on the good and prepare to prevent this from happening again. We all MUST work together. Our youth is our future.
Hug your kiddos, your nieces, your nephews, your grandkids and your younger cousins who have to go to school with a little fear inside of them. Know that we, as a community and elected officials, are working each day to protect them. I want us to live in a world where students can go to school to learn – where they don’t have an ounce of fear in the back of their mind.
It’s my priority to be a part of the solution.
To see the leadership of Mike Snowden that day, knowing that Commissioners Dillinger, Altman and myself hired him just a few years ago also made me proud. He is so deserving of this award.
Congrats, Mike.
Mark Heirbrandt
Hamilton County Commissioner
Westfield