Scotts Valley police supervisor Tamera Melrose usually tries to avoid the spotlight. She ducks away from the camera and likes to remain behind the scenes — but this time there was no way out.
Melrose was named Scotts Valley Police Employee of the Year for taking on the renovation of the department’s 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center.
“I feel very honored to be acknowledged,” Melrose said. “I’m just really glad the project turned out the way it did.”
Beginning in June 2007, Melrose began researching how to upgrade the dispatch center that fields all police and 9-1-1 calls in the city. The 20-year-old system was outdated and a single crimped wire or damaged circuit could throw off operations.
Melrose researched radio equipment, furniture, electrical systems and computer networks while determining the best way to upgrade the center in a cost-effective way that would make it relevant as technology evolves in the future.
Construction took place this spring, and the project came in under the more than $300,000 budget, which has been attributed to the connections Melrose made with vendors.
“Without complaint, she oversaw every aspect of the project, from dealing with contractors to selecting new equipment,” Chief John Weiss said. “Most police agencies hire out a project manager for such undertakings.”
The dispatch center is designed to be ergonomic and efficient. Dispatchers on 12-hour shifts can sit or stand, and wireless headsets allow them to take calls while performing tasks throughout the office. The retrofit also allows station managers to flip the switch to a completely narrowband radio system anytime before Jan. 1, 2013, when the federal government requires the changeover be completed.
According to Melrose, the people manning the new center deserve a lot of credit as well.
“The dispatchers were phenomenal,” she said. “It changed their world for five weeks, and with the new equipment, they had to relearn their job.”
Melrose, a Scotts Valley resident with three children, started her career with the department as a volunteer in 2000 before being hired as a dispatcher.
Five years later, she was supervising the rest of the crew.
“Tamera Melrose is a consummate professional, and the police department and community are lucky to have her,” Weiss said.
