Captain Karen Primmer has 35 years of public safety experience. She began her career as a law enforcement Telecommunicator/Dispatcher in 1990 at the Hermiston Police Department where she worked for 24 years.  She was recognized as “Dispatcher of the Year” in 1992, and again in 2002.

In 2014, the City of Hermiston consolidated public safety dispatch services with Umatilla County. At that time, Karen joined the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch team. Because of her vast experience, she was quickly promoted to the position of Communications Sergeant. In 2020, Karen was again promoted to the position of Communications Captain, where she oversees and manages all aspects of the Sheriff’s Dispatch Center.

In 2024, Captain Primmer was named by her staff and peers as, “Manager of the Year” for the State of Oregon by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). The award means a great deal to her as it was submitted by her staff to the Awards Committee of APCO.

Karen currently holds the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, and Management Certifications from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST).

Appointed as the Public Safety Answering Point Region #6 Representative in 2022.  This covers the counties of Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Baker, Harney and Malheur.

She is a graduate of the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association’s Command College, and also a graduate of the Association of Oregon Counties’ Professional Development Academy for High Performance Leadership. Captain Primmer is the 1st Vice President of the Executive Board for the Oregon Chapter of APCO.

Appointed to the Next Gen 9-1-1 Executive Steering Committee in 2025.

Karen graduated from Hermiston High School, and Blue Mountain Community College with an Associates in Liberal Arts.  She and her husband, Doug, a UCSO Sergeant have been married for 28 years, and have 5 children and 4 grandchildren.