Dispatchers are the first first responders, the lifeline between citizens and officers. They play a vital role in emergency situations.
Dispatchers set the tone each time they answer a call or dispatch officers via radio. They need to remain cool, calm and collected in critical situations.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is a time to honor our heroes behind the headset and our behind-the-scenes profession. It is important to recognize our dispatchers for the vital work they do, every second of every hour of every day – taking calls from citizens and dispatching the appropriate personnel to those calls for service. It takes a special kind of person to do what our dispatchers do on a daily basis and they deserve to be recognized.
To celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week this year, our theme is “The 90’s.” We will have photobooth props and we also hang placards with each dispatcher’s name and years of service from the ceiling of our communications center.
Here are a few of the festivities we have planned:
- Dispatchers will be selected via a daily drawing to spin a special ‘prize wheel’ to win prizes. And we’ll have additional giveaways throughout the week.
- Each day will be a different “food day” and we’ll provide meals and treats for our dispatchers.
- Dispatchers will receive raffle tickets to enter drawings for gift baskets (donated by our Police Divisions/Units). It’s great to have the support of our sworn personnel!
- Our dispatchers will also receive a special gift from our activities fund. This year we’ll be giving out specially-designed challenge coins commemorating our profession and our department