An Update Worthy of 5 Stars: Cowlitz 911 Chooses Watson for New Consoles

Located in Southwest Washington, Cowlitz 911 provides emergency dispatching services for the 110,000-plus residents who reside in Cowlitz County and the surrounding area. The organization hadn’t purchased new consoles in more than 20 years and was struggling with finding replacement parts. In addition, dispatchers experienced issues with acoustics due to the outdated and congested arrangement of workstations.

As a customer for the past two decades, Cowlitz 911 was already well educated on Watson’s quality, service, support, and reputation. They had previously purchased six Basic 2, 120-degree consoles. And although the consoles had outstanding ergonomic functionality, the deep monitors had become problematic, taking up excessive space and limiting the ability to access technology on a regular basis.

Over the years, Cowlitz 911 had purchased additional monitors to accommodate their growing workforce. While these additions helped dispatchers keep up with demand, they impacted their performance, interfering with sound clarity and contributing to an already crowded floor arrangement.

Needing a way to upgrade their consoles and accommodate a more streamlined workflow, the center turned to Watson, once again. And in January 2019, the install began. Working together with their Watson consultant, Cowlitz 911 selected 8 Mercury Pro consoles, specifically for their front and rear access to technology, flat monitors, and intelligently linear design, which frees up more workspace for each dispatcher.

Mercury Pro’s features put operator health first with features engineered to endure the rigors of a 24/7 environment — from height- and depth-adjustable worksurfaces to easy-to-access environmental controls. Consoles also included privacy screens that control sound, without impacting sightlines.

Additionally, Mercury Pro was selected for its modular design, making installation, expansion, and relocation a breeze. A deciding factor since they’re in the process of designing a new dispatch center and will be taking the new consoles with them. They also liked the fact Mercury Pro is designed to last and comes with the industry’s strongest standard warranty.