Swarming bees. Babies making surprise entrances into the world. Bad crashes — and bad criminals. 

You name it, State Patrol dispatcher John Hutchins has heard it. The calls have ranged from terrifying to bizarre to downright puzzling. 

Call it an occupational hazard that comes with 40 years on the job. 

“One thing about this job — it can be completely different every day and from minute to minute,” said Hutchins, who will hang up his headset when he retires in May. “You can go from zero to 60 right now.”

It’s the noon hour on a weekday, and the large room where Hutchins works was filled with different conversations from Minnesota State Patrol dispatchers on calls from around the state. These men and women are among the 911 dispatchers across the country being recognized for their hard work during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 13-19.

Last year alone, Minnesota State Patrol dispatchers answered nearly 190,000 calls at the two main dispatch centers in Roseville and Rochester. Statewide, the number of 911 calls handled by dispatchers in 2024 was 2.8 million.

During his long career, Hutchins has taken too many calls to count. From the routine to the extraordinary, dispatchers like him handle it all — from a driver with a stalled car to a child whose parent is experiencing a medical emergency.

“One call I took was down on Interstate 35E when a truck carrying bees crashed,” said Hutchins. “One hundred thousand bees were released. With that one, we really didn’t know how to have the troopers and fire department respond.”

He then reminisced about the time he used traffic cameras to help police track a suspect running down a highway after committing an armed robbery at the Mall of America.

“When police got to him, he didn’t have any of the stuff he stole. I remember seeing him stopping along the freeway behind a wall, so that’s where I told the detectives to look. When they got down there, they held up all the money bags right on camera, and it was good closure. We got the guy,” Hutchins said with a chuckle.

As he counts down to retirement, Hutchins has been spending more time reflecting on the people he has helped and the relationships he’s built with Minnesota state troopers. He’s worked so long that the kids of the troopers he started with have become troopers — and even retired.

“I just have to knock on wood that every single trooper has gone home at the end of their shift when I’ve been working,” he said. “That’s been the most rewarding thing. I hope I played a part in every one of them getting home safe. That’s number one.”

Helping 911 dispatchers help you

Dispatchers go through extensive training to help people during some of their worst moments. The most important thing to remember when dialing 911 is to remain calm once the dispatcher answers.

“I know it’s probably the first time you’ve experienced the emergency you are calling about,” Hutchins said. “But it’s going to be a much faster and better response if you can clearly articulate the issue and work with us.”

Hutchins also says you should be prepared with the following information when calling 911:

• The location of the emergency, including the street address
• The phone number you are calling from
• The nature of the emergency
• Details about the emergency, such as a physical description of a person who may have committed a crime, a description of any fire that may be burning or a description of injuries or symptoms being experienced by a person having a medical emergency

Remember, the call-taker's questions are important to get the right kind of help to you quickly. Be prepared to follow any instructions the call-taker gives you. Many 911 centers can tell you exactly what to do until help arrives, such as providing step-by-step instructions to aid someone who is choking or needs first aid or CPR. Do not hang up until the call-taker instructs you to do so.