Dispatchers receive praise for helping injured men

On Thursday, March 13, 2008, our Elmore County Sheriffs Dispatch received a frantic phone call from me.

My husband, Harry, is a local truck driver. He called me on my cell phone. He had dialed 911 but it wouldn't go through, so he called me and got through.

I immediately called 911 on another phone and as I got information from my husband, I relayed it to dispatch.

I had never been to the location and we tried to get as much information as we could through my husband's cries of pain.

You see, he had slipped and fallen on a metal post that was sticking up out of the ground and impaled himself on it.

He later told us that he screamed for help but no one heard him. He knew he had to get medical help, and somehow he arched and lifted his body off of this post and crawled to his truck to reach his cell phone.

He was truly frightened when 911 wouldn't go through. Then he dialed me.

The local dispatch took my information and co-ordinated help for my husband 100 miles away.

My family and I, on behalf of my husband, would like to thank the two women who were working dispatch that fateful morning.

Their names are Beth Caney and Dele Downs.

Thank you, ladies, you are both true professionals at your job. Thank you for helping my husband in his time of need and thank you for helping me in my time of great stress.

You are both heros in my book!

We would also like to thank the Castleford Quick Response Unit, Magic Valley Paramedics and Air St. Lukes for their quick response and medical expertise.

My husband was so relieved to have help.

Thank you also for all the prayers from the community.

Harry has recovery time ahead and his doctor has repeatedly told him how lucky he is to be here with us.

I believe his luck started with Dele and Beth.

Thank you again.

Clara Smith and family

(Editor's note: The injury occurred outside Elmore County, where the original 911 call was made and directed, but the 911 call from the man's wife was from inside Elmore County. It was the Elmore County dispatchers who first responded -- to the wife's call -- and eventually were able to determine that the injury location was in another county.)