On The Right Track

Nestled at the juncture between the North Platte and South Platte rivers in west-central Nebraska (USA) is the center of the Nebraska Sand Hills cattle industry and the beautiful Platte valley.¹

Before you reach for a handful of popcorn, you might thank the Cornhusker state for leading the production of more than 360 million pounds of popcorn annually in the United States. It also leads the nation for Great Northern bean production and is named a close second for pinto beans. Add to that the sweet side of life with 39,000 bee colonies, each producing thousands of pounds of honey, and 480 acres of grapes (550 vines per acre) used to make wine, jellies, jams, and juice.²

But there’s so much more to the commerce and history of the North Platte community, which was originally shaped by the railroad as a key part of western expansion.

Erected in 2008, the Golden Spike Tower has provided a birds-eye view of the world’s largest train yard, the Bailey Yard—named for former Union Pacific president Edd H. Bailey. This attraction spanning 2,850 acres (a total length of eight miles) offers more than a glimpse at the 10,000 railroad cars it manages. It serves as a connection to the community once nicknamed “Hell on Wheels” during the transcontinental railroad’s construction.³

As the railroad brought in a visiting population, major shop facilities and winter quarters were constructed, growing North Platte’s surroundings. In fact, in 1878, the legendary Col. William F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” settled on a ranch near the railroad to easily transport his Wild West Show.⁴

During World War II, from 1941 to 1946, the North Platte Canteen—a volunteer effort organized by citizens—welcomed more than six million members of the armed forces with baked goods and a warm respite on their 10-minute stop.⁵

But by 1971, the passenger rail service was discontinued after operating for 105 years as automobiles and commercial air travel became more common. Still today, the Bailey Yard continues to handle 14,000 rail cars every 24 hours—operating year-round to “keep America moving forward.”⁶

With pride in their railroad ties, the North Platte community comes alive with a celebration each August for North Platte Rail Days, with twilight views at the Tower, guided bus tours, model train shows, and live music. The celebration is only rivaled by the nearby Nebraska Land Days in June, a 10-day musical festival and Buffalo Bill rodeo with community flavor. Bands such as Diamond Rio (the 2026 headliner) bring in the crowds,⁷ which means all hands are on deck at the North Platte Police Department’s (NPPD) 911 Communications Center.

Closer look
Serving an area of 2,564 square miles, the NPPD handles all three disciplines and serves as the answering point for seven fire departments and three police departments. Their service area includes the City of North Platte and villages of Maxwell, Hershey, Sutherland, Wallace, Brady, Dickens, Wellfleet, and the City of Gothenburg (located in Dawson County). They utilize mutual aid agreements built directly into their ProQA^® system as they regularly share resources and dual dispatch in some areas (both volunteer and paid fire services).

With their service area located in the middle of the state, the influx of travelers on the interstate influences their call volume, which is typically about 75,000 calls annually (of which 15,600 are 911 calls). The interstate also adds potential for traffic collision calls and brings added diversity to the service population of about 36,474 people.

The NPPD 911 Communications Center is considered part of their Support Services Division under the command of Lt. Dan Shea and supervised by Telecommunicator II and Dispatch Supervisor Melinda Baker.⁸ Both Shea and Baker have been with the department since the late 1990s, but their Chief of Police, Steve Reeves, has an even longer tenure, having started there in 1988 with a hands-on approach in every division—even certifying as an EMD-Q^® who could dispatch, if desired!

NPPD staffs 14 telecommunicators and one public safety employee (working 12 hours a week in dispatch or as needed). Three telecommunicators work together on 12-hour day or night shifts, while two additional telecommunicators cover rotating swing shifts. This setup allows overlap between shifts, promoting collaboration and cross-training while also providing employees with rotating weekends off.

Implementation to accreditation
Having implemented the Medical Priority Dispatch System^™ (MPDS^®) in June 2018, the NPPD had their eyes set on ACE from day one, but it took a while to dive deep into what was required.

“It turned into more than I thought it would be,” Reeves said with a laugh. “As we got started [with the MPDS], we were told to expect some resistance, and we did have a little trouble getting people to certify. We quickly realized we had no control over our calls, but we put in the work to get the results we were hoping for.”

The quality service he’s observed since implementing the MPDS has confirmed it has all been worth it. One weekend, while mowing the lawn, Reeves received a notification that a farmer had been trapped in a tractor incident. Logging in from home, he listened in to his team and was so impressed by their informed, effective dispatch.

“We never would have had a response like that prior to ProQA,” Reeves said. “It involved coordinating responses for three different fire departments and a helicopter, and it all went smoothly. We only have one or two of these incidents every harvest, but when you need it, you need it.”

The team can feel the difference too, stating that the shift to protocol was initially uncomfortable and “seemed like a lot” at first, but they became proficient and “persevered to save countless lives.” One employee described the protocol as “safety for all.” They feel calm while facing emotional situations, and the caller seems more focused and reassured with structured calltaking.

As NPPD’s compliance levels began rising, they felt ready to embark on their ACE journey. As a starting point, Reeves was determined to approve a budget with city hall to fund QPR for case review. This was a key to the department’s ultimate success as it allowed their personnel to focus on calltaking. As a unique motivation, they found enough in the budget to allow for a special incentive.

“We specified in our contract that when we reached ACE, we’d pay a bonus of $100 a month to each EMD,” Reeves said.

“It was a couple of years before I wrote the first check. Not everyone likes the review process, but everyone likes the checks.”

That wasn’t their only motivation though. One employee noted how “the team came together by sharing tips, encouraging each other after difficult calls, and creating an environment where questions are welcomed.” In fact, downtime was filled with healthy debates on how they would use the protocol to handle situations in headline news or TV episodes.

“We took each challenge just one step at a time, not losing sight of the goal,” Baker said.

Conclusion
With ACE within reach, the feeling had changed as you entered the dispatch floor.

“I could see a switch flip,” Reeves said. “They took a new approach, and maybe they reached a new level of confidence knowing ‘I’ve got this.’”

The NPPD received their accreditation in July 2025, the first in Nebraska to be recognized for their elite service. The achievement was recognized at city hall in front of the city council and any attending public with media coverage that followed.

As an EMD-Q said, “This recognition symbolized the literal sweat, tears, and continuous training and persistence that showed the team’s dedication to the level of service they aim to provide each and every citizen.”

Sources

1. Britannica Editors. “North Platte.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2026; Jan. 3. https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Platte (accessed April 21, 2026).

2. “Nebraska Agriculture.” Nebraska Department of Agriculture. https://nda.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ne_ag_facts_brochure.pdf (accessed April 21, 2026).

3. “Bailey Yard History.” Golden Spike Tower. 2026. https://goldenspiketower.com/bailey-yard/bailey-yard-history/ (accessed April 21, 2026).

4. See note 3.

5. See note 3.

6. See note 3.

7. “Nebraska's Premier Music Festival and Rodeo.” NEBRASKAland Days. 2026. https://nebraskalanddays.com/ (accessed April 21, 2026).

8. “911 Communications.” City of North Platte. 2026. https://northplattene.gov/409/911-Communications (accessed April 21, 2026).