And when they need it — when they are frantically dialing 911 — they expect it will work properly.

The local emergency communications system is nearing the end of almost two years worth of improvement work that includes everything from a huge radio tower to new software that will enable 911 dispatchers to talk callers through the process of administering CPR.

Better serving people in their hour of need is the purpose of all that hardware and software, according to Brian Hitchcock, the communications director for the Webster County Sheriff’s Department.

Hitchcock said shortly after he was hired two years ago, he worked with Sheriff Luke Fleener to develop a list of improvement priorities.

Topping that list was the need for better radio communications in the Lehigh area. He said emergency responders frequently could not use their radios in that area. They could not let dispatchers know what was happening and they could not call for more help if it was needed.

The solution was determined to be a new radio tower to serve that area. Construction of that tower is almost finished.

“It will give good communication coverage in that area,” Hitchcock said. “It’s a big win for the citizens that live down there.”

A new system for recording the calls that come into the 911 dispatch center was the second big project. Hitchcock acknowledged that a new recording system doesn’t have a lot of immediate benefit for the public, but it will help the dispatch center to perform better.

The implementation of emergency medical dispatching will have a huge and potentially lifesaving benefit for the public, Hitchcock said.

Emergency medical dispatching is a system that helps dispatchers answering 911 calls on just about any kind of health crisis.

Hitchcock said the system gives dispatchers questions to ask to get the most relevant information about the situation. For example, he said, if a caller reported someone with chest pain, the system would prompt the dispatchers to ask if the person had taken any heart medication.

The system will also give dispatchers step-by-step instructions to pass on to callers so that the caller could help the patient before help arrives. Hitchcock said there are instructions for stopping severe bleeding and for performing CPR.

“That’s a big win for everybody,” he said. “If we can give someone some advice that saves a life, that’s what counts.”

Emergency medical dispatching should be fully implemented in two to three months, he said.