Lightning Strike Injures Dispatcher

A severe thunderstorm swept across Madison County (Ken.) in early May, unleashing a lightning strike that hit the county’s public safety communications center, jumped through the radio gear and into a dispatcher’s headset. County E911 director Wendy Lynch now says the unnamed dispatcher was injured, but that privacy laws prohibit her from providing more information about the type of injury or its severity. She did say the dispatcher was treated by a doctor, and has returned to work. She said the center’s 400-foot radio tower was properly grounded, and that technicians are studying how to better protect against future lightning strikes. She now allows dispatchers to remove their headsets and listen to radio traffic through speakers when a thunderstorm occurs. Read more about the strike here.