As Administrator of a 9-1-1 Center, Swanson is responsible for the management of the District. "Tillamook 9-1-1 was the first 9-1-1 center in the state to become its own local government," Swanson said, "although a Special District is the most common form of government in the United States, we are familiar with Fire Districts, Recreation Districts, and Water Districts, 9-1-1 Districts are not nearly as common - there are only three (3) other 9-1-1 Districts in Oregon."


Swanson's administrative duties include: developing and administering the District's $1,000,000 annual budget; strategic planning; equipment and technology acquisition; public relations; and personnel management.

"My background in EMS has been very advantageous in the 9-1-1 setting", Swanson said, "my EMS experience has given me the ability to see the bigger picture of public safety - instead of fragmented pieces of the system, I can focus on improving outcomes."


Aside from administrative issues, Swanson is responsible for overseeing all of the operations within the Center. This includes staffing, policy development and implementation, training, equipment maintenance, as well as working the occasional dispatch shift.

Swanson's dispatching skills were recently put to the test during a botched bank robbery. Two (2) men, armed with automatic weapons, attempted to rob the Rockaway Beach branch of U.S. Bank before it opened. The suspects fled the scene and traveled North on US Hwy 101. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle the suspects fired on them. Both patrol units were hit and one officer received a gunshot wound to the head. This began a six hour manhunt for two (2) gunman who had abandoned their disabled vehicle in rural Tillamook County.

Swanson, filling in for a sick dispatcher, had just begun dispatching when the call about the robbery came in. He was responsible for the law enforcement radio channels when the officers were fired on and the "officer down" call came in. "That is a dispatcher's worst nightmare?the call we hope we never get" recalls Swanson, "It is also one of the calls that we want to be the most prepared for."


After nearly five (5) hours of the largest manhunt in Tillamook County history, Swanson received a cellular 9-1-1 call from the would-be robbers. Swanson began negotiations with the suspects who eventually surrendered to authorities.

Swanson again credits his EMS background for his performance in this situation. "CONTOMS (Tactical EMS School) and my assignment as a Tactical Paramedic for the OSP [Oregon State Police] SWAT Team made all the difference." commented Swanson, "I was on the other side of negotiations many times while playing bad guy for OSP - it's about time I got to be one of the good guys!".


Swanson and his staff were honored by the District with Critical Incident Awards for their role in this very demanding incident.

In addition to his duties as the 9-1-1 Administrator, Swanson is finishing his 13th year as the Sergeant for the Reserve Unit of the Tillamook Police Department. He continues to practice EMS on a part-time basis as a member of the Trauma Team at Tillamook County General Hospital, a level 3 trauma hospital.

Swanson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and holds DPSST certifications as Telecommunicator, Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Supervisor, Middle Manager, and Executive.

Eric Swanson, BBA, NREMT-P
Tillamook, OR
EMT since 1986