Oregon Department of Transportation dispatcher Nate Conner takes action to increase social distance
OREGON — ODOT’s dispatch centers are configured so that they don’t necessarily allow their vital employees to follow proper social distancing protocols. That only encouraged Nate Conner, a dispatch and communications specialist, when it came time to solve the problem. He volunteered to help get an additional Traffic Management and Operations Center dispatch location set up at a different location in Portland – at our Sylvan facility. The additional site, according to Supervisor Tiffany Berry, would be used in case the original site, at the Garrett Building in downtown Portland, was unavailable.
“It had never been set up until now – when we desperately needed to separate dispatchers,” Berry said.
With Conner’s expertise in ODOT dispatch systems, the team got a fully functioning dispatch console up and working within a week.
“We are grateful for Nate’s help and willingness to go above and beyond – and to make sure that all dispatchers could use the alternate site without any computer or radio issues,” Berry said.
