LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local government and law enforcement agencies are this week honoring the work of the dispatchers who form the critical link between public and first responders.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week is April 14 to 20.
Ahead of the event, at last week’s Clearlake City Council meeting, Mayor Nick Bennett presented a proclamation honoring dispatchers to Clearlake Police personnel.
Bennett, a retired Clearlake Police sergeant, said dispatchers saved his life on numerous occasions.
“I can’t say enough about our dispatchers and I think any officer worth his or her salt will agree,” Bennett said.
He said dispatchers are critical in calls for police, medical services or fire. At the same time, the safety of officers and firefighters depends on the quality and accuracy of the information dispatchers obtain during emergency calls.
“Public safety communicators are the first and foremost critical contact our citizens have with emergencies,” and are a vital link for police and firefighters, he said.
He said they’ve contributed substantially to apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires and treatment of patients, exhibiting compassion, understanding and professionalism while doing their job.
Dispatchers are becoming even more critical to the Clearlake Police Department as the agency works to become a 911 primary public safety answering point.
That designation means 911 calls will no longer be routed through the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch but will go directly to the police station. It’s a measure that is meant to reduce delays and add additional services for calls.
This week, Sheriff Brian Martin offered his thanks to his agency’s “rockstar dispatchers” in a Facebook post.
“These folks are often times the first contact we have with the public. Thank you for the sacrifice and dedication you guys and gals provide every hour of every day,” Martin wrote.
The California Highway Patrol said the calm, professional and unseen voices of public safety dispatchers in times of crisis are an essential link for its officers.
“The selfless efforts of telecommunications professionals are crucial for public safety,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “With any new crisis, dispatchers who provide services to the public and every CHP unit are to be commended for their dedication and hard work.”
More than 900 public safety dispatchers work for the CHP, in 24 Communications Centers statewide, where they handled more than seven million calls in 2018. A large majority of the wireless 911 calls in California are handled by CHP dispatchers.
Calls are never routine. The CHP said its dispatchers must instantly determine the correct response to ensure safety in an emergency. They are also in constant communication with patrol officers, looking up license plates, driver license numbers, and running criminal record checks on wanted subjects.
Although text to 911 is now available in many parts of California, voice calls are better whenever possible. The CHP said more areas will add text to 911 in the coming years.
Calling 911 can be stressful. The CHP said the following tips will help callers during an emergency:
– Stay as calm as possible.
– Call from a landline if possible.
– Be prepared to provide your name, phone number, address or location, and a detailed description of the incident or vehicle being reported.
– Cellular telephones may not tell the call-taker where you are. The location of the emergency may be the single most important information for the dispatcher in case the call is cut off.
– Wait for the dispatcher to ask questions, and then answer clearly and calmly.
– Listen carefully and follow all directions provided by the dispatcher.
– Be prepared to provide a physical description if the emergency involves a criminal suspect.
Remember, 911 is for life-threatening emergencies. Misuse of the emergency 911 system will result in a delay for callers with real emergencies and is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.
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Law enforcement agencies mark National Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week
- Elizabeth Larson
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