Bilingual Windsor native Bianca Reynoso is taking the reins as a new dispatcher at the Healdsburg Police Department after former dispatcher Colleen Simmons retired from the role after 33 years of service.
Reynoso started the position on Tuesday, March 12 and last week The Healdsburg Tribune sat down with her to talk about her new role, her dive into the emergency service career, what she likes most about the job and more.
What has the role been like so far?
Bianca Reynoso: It’s been a lot of learning. I’ve been trying to familiarize myself with the streets since I have a map test.
What’s the most challenging aspect of the job?
BR: I would say the amount of things that you need to learn. There are 10 or 11 codes I have to learn. Also, there is so much information you have to get down. Today was my first day on the radio so I’m doing returns and if there is a traffic stop, I am giving that information, drivers license, license plate, etc.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
BR: I went to Cali Calmecac in Windsor, so that is where I learned to speak, read and write in Spanish and from there I graduated from Roseland University Prep in Santa Rosa. When I went to Sonoma State, my major was communications and I minored in Spanish.
How did you get interested in this line of work?
BR: I started off working at an emergency room in the trauma center at Santa Rosa Memorial and I was a registrar, so I saw a lot of crazy accidents, and I loved it. At first it was really hard on my stomach but I grew to love it. My schedule was really hard. Working at the ER, I usually would get one day off and sometimes every other weekend and I have two small kids so I needed something a little more flexible.
What do you like most about your job?
BR: There is not one thing I could say that I don’t like. I feel that everyone here is like their own family, which I am very excited to be a part of. Working at the hospital I felt like there was a difference — if you were a nurse you were up here and if you were a registrar you were down there — here I feel like everyone feels that they are equal. When the chief comes in he’ll come in and talk to you about what he did on his weekend. It’s really nice to have that sense of community.
Any strange or funny calls so far while on the job?
BR: There are some people I notice who just want to call to talk to you. They want to talk to you about certain things and it’s cute, but at the same you have to tell them, “Oh, well if you have an emergency, feel free to call. Or, is there an emergency?”
When you are not working what do you like to do for fun?
BR: Well I have two kids, my youngest is 1 and my daughter is 6 and lately what we’ve been doing to get to know Healdsburg better is going to the parks. We’ve been trying different breakfast places. Last weekend we went to go see “Beauty and the Beast” that was put on by St. John’s.
What’s your favorite part of Healdsburg so far?
BR: Working here, I’ve probably had multiple people who’ve come in and found a wallet or a cell phone and it is just so nice that there are citizens who turn things in. The community of Healdsburg itself is so nice so I think that is my favorite part.
