Child Hot Line Center is in Limited Operation

Ron Trowbridge

Phone operators for the H3C Child Hot Line in Lamar have been running tests on the phone systems recently installed at the Prowers County Annex. Although the emergency/information call numbers have not yet been publicly released, the system will be operational as of Monday, December 15. H3C manager, Ron Trowbridge, told the Prowers County Commissioners this past Thursday the center will be ready to accept calls, 24 hours a day, but some technical aspects of the project still need work. He added that the center is now fully staffed.

“We’re going to have bugs, we’ll have some problems and I want you to know that in advance,” Trowbridge stated. “I expect there will be issues, but we’ll get through them.”  Trowbridge said he wants to get all the operators to visit a working call center so they can get real-time exposure to the response made to the incoming calls. He told the commissioners, “They really need to be able to sit down and watch somebody else go through it. This is all very new to everyone in the program.” He said another variable is how many calls operators will encounter. “Right now, we don’t know if we’ll be hammered with calls or become bored with a lack of them during a shift,” he explained. Trowbridge said future plans call for fully trained, part-time operators who can fill in on a moment’s notice.  The Call Center will employ at least 12 persons with a possibility for more hires in the future.

The Hot Line ribbon cutting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 at 10am at the County Annex, weather permitting outdoors on the south side of the building. Commissioner Wendy Buxton-Andrade said the call number will be published on January 1^st once the centers around the state are officially operational, but because they are still being tested, the numbers are not being made available to the general public. “There will be a complete, statewide media campaign that will come out in April,” she said. She added that all of the mandated reporters, those employed who interact with children, such as teachers, doctors, law enforcement or churches will be mailed an informational card on the program.

By Russ Baldwin