The second full week of April is recognized each year as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, bringing well deserved attention and recognition to the public safety dispatchers who are an invaluable part of every emergency response team.
This week of recognition, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, honors the thousands of men and women nationwide who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.
“Our E-911 dispatchers are an invaluable asset in our ability to assist our residents and motorists in times of need,” said Lewis County Judge Executive Todd Ruckel.
“Telecommunicators have a very difficult and very important job. Our dispatchers are a vital part of our public safety team. The work they do every day is important and I’m proud of the effort they put forth in performing their duties,” Ruckel adds.
“Our hardworking dispatchers serve as a vital link between the public and fire, medical, and law enforcement agencies,” says Sheriff Johnny Bivens.
“Our dispatchers provide a crucial service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” Bivens adds. “And they do it well.”
Lewis County E-911 Coordinator Mike Sparks said coordinated efforts of local dispatchers during the COVID-19 health threat exemplify the important tasks of the local E-911 dispatchers.
Sparks said the E-911 telecommunicators quickly adapted to the fast-changing requirements in safely dispatching first-responders to medical emergencies, domestic violence calls, motor vehicle collisions, fires, and now calls involving concerns over possible coronavirus health risks.
Sparks said all of the information concerning each incident is entered into a local computer database that has recently been upgraded. The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system also keeps a log of all times associated with each incident and includes information about each responder and other details associated with the incident.
“I’m proud of our dispatchers,” Sparks says. “They are professional and calm when events can dictate otherwise. They are the true first responders.”
Sparks said the local dispatch center handles more than 1,000 calls each month and dispatches police, medical, fire, and other emergency response agencies to more than 800 incidents or medical emergency calls each month.
Assuring rapid response by police, fire, and medical personnel in the midst of emergencies, the men and women who take 911 calls and send assistance are often overlooked for the critical role they play in coordinating first response and lifesaving efforts.
Telecommunicators Week began in California in 1981 and quickly grew to become a national week of recognition. In 1991 Congress officially designated the second week of each April as a time to remember the critical role that dispatchers play in keeping us all safe.
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