When most of us think about 911, we picture flashing lights and first responders arriving on the scene.

But that fast emergency response starts somewhere else — with a person answering the phone.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a 911 call taker, a dispatcher, and the director of Minneapolis’s 911 call center about what happens after the phone rings — how they gather critical details, move information through the system and send help where it’s needed.

Guests:

• Joni Hodne is the director of the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis. She oversees the city’s 911 operations, including staffing and training.
• Lori Patrick is a dispatcher who has been working at the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis for over 30 years. She dispatches first responders in the field, relaying crucial information in real time.
• Ben Jacobs is a call taker for the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis. He takes emergency calls, gathers critical information and often helps callers stay calm in emergencies.

The Science Museum of Minnesota has wowed generations with its dinosaur fossils, including an 80-foot Diplodocus. And tens of thousands of people have visited its other exhibits explaining everything from outer space to the history of race.

But these days, fewer people are visiting.

Like other cultural institutions across the country, the St. Paul museum has struggled to lure people back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance is half of what it was in 2019, forcing the museum to eliminate summer camps, lay off employees and make other cuts.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what contributed to the drop in visitors and how the museum is trying to sell more people on its cool collections, current exhibits and educational programming.

Guests:

• Alison Rempel Brown has been the president and CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota since 2016. She was previously chief of staff at the California Academy of Sciences.
• Colleen Dilenschneider is founder and managing member of IMPACTS Experience, a market research firm that works with cultural organizations, including museums, zoos, aquariums and science centers. She is based in Chicago.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Snow is still on the ground across parts of Minnesota, but it’s not too early to start thinking about spring allergies. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two allergists about what’s coming this season and how to get ahead of it.

Guests:

• Dr. Alice Knoedler is an allergist and immunologist at Midwest Allergy and Asthma, which is part Midwest Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists, a group of clinicians based in and around the Twin Cities.
• Dr. Zachary Rubin is a pediatrician and allergist who practices at Oak Brook Allergists in Chicago. He is also author of the recently published book, “All About Allergies: Everything You Need to Know About Asthma, Food Allergies, Hay Fever, and More.”

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.