Delaware County Dispatch Honored for Lake Delhi Emergency
By Orlan Love, Reporter
Aerial view of the Lake Delhi Recreation Association Dam after it had been compromised.���� Mark Benischek/Sourcemediagroup
By
Jason Kristufek
Story Created:
Apr 24, 2011 at 8:16 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Apr 24, 2011 at 8:16 AM CDT
MANCHESTER — When disaster looms and all 10 phone lines are ringing, “it can get a little nerve wracking,” said Loretta Welcher, the lead dispatcher at the Delaware County Communications Center.
The center was recently recognized for its handling of massive flooding caused by the breach of the Lake Delhi dam on July 24.
“We knew we were in trouble when a torrential rain started falling” on top of an already flooded Maquoketa River about 9:30 p.m. July 23, said Welcher, 57, an 18-year department veteran.
Tension gripped the small dispatch office at the police station until the following afternoon, “when we found out the dam failure was not going to be catastrophic,” she said.
The Delaware County crew was recognized as the team communicator of the year by the Iowa chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.
Recognized as telecommunicator of the year was Robert Lane Jr. of the Jackson County 911 Center in Maquoketa, nominated for his handling of the July 4 Bellevue parade tragedy, which resulted in one death and nearly 30 injuries when a team of horses stampeded through parade spectators.
Manchester Police Chief Bruce Trapp, who supervises the Delaware County Communications Center, praised the “extraordinary effort” of the dispatch team, which includes Welcher, Linda Fangmann, Mary Kleinschrodt, Kathy Corkery, Margie Recker, Carrie McNamara, Tracey Baldwin, Reenie Breyer and police Sgt. Rick Carnicle.
After receiving word at 4:45 a.m. on the July 24 that the dam would likely fail later that day, the dispatchers braced for action, coordinating more than 20 boat rescues of flooded Lake Delhi residents.
With the phones ringing constantly, Breyer stayed after her overnight shift to help, and Welcher, who had the day shift, called in Fangmann to help.
“At 7 a.m. they told us the dam was going to breach, and that’s when the excitement really intensified,” said Welcher.
The dispatchers worked closely with sheriff’s deputies and volunteer firefighters who went door to door warning downstream residents to get out of harm’s way.
“We had no idea what would happen when the dam went out. The fear was that a wall of water would rush downstream, threatening rural residents and residents of Hopkinton and Monticello,” said Fangmann, 55, of Earlville.
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