U.S. thanks its 911 dispatchers April 9-15

The Lake County commissioners, along with municipalities and counties around the country are recognizing America’s public safety dispatchers April 9-15 during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

This national recognition commenced in 1981 when dispatcher Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California had a few choice words with then-Sheriff Richard Rainey after he unwittingly diverted an hour’s worth of administrative work and phone calls normally not handled by dispatchers to an already busy dispatch center and created chaos there, according to the NPSTW website.

“At 2:00 p.m. the same afternoon, Sheriff Rainey and Under Sheriff Warren Rupf walked into dispatch with a giant beautifully-decorated cake that said, ‘Happy Dispatcher Week.’ With that very wise move, Sheriff Rainey, Under Sheriff Rupf, and Dispatcher Patricia Anderson started an initiative that culminated in what we now know as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week,” the website reads.

Whether Rainey screwed up that day or not, however, any right-thinking public safety professional knows all too well how much credit these largely unsung heroes deserve.

Take, for example, a recent “Ask the Chief” post on Lake County’s Website entitled “What does a dispatcher do?” in which Lake County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Frank Leonbruno sheds some light on the many responsibilities public safety telecommunicators take on in their day-to-day jobs.

“When most people think of a dispatcher they picture a person answering a 9-1-1 call, asking a few questions, and sending a police officer, firefighter, or rescue unit to a person in need over a radio,” the post reads. “Today’s emergency communication’s professional is vastly different from the images of old television shows such as Adam12 or Emergency. They handle complex duties that require significant technical and analytical abilities.”

Leonbruno’s post goes on to illuminate some of the myriad tasks for which dispatchers are responsible, from maintaining a thorough knowledge of CPR and first aid to various safety procedures, laws and regulations, among many others.

In their March 30 resolution, the Lake County commissioners officially recognized the observance and gave kudos to “a distinct number of dedicated telecommunicators (who) serve the citizens of Lake County on a daily basis by answering their telephone calls for police, fire and emergency medical services.”

The resolution continues: “Public safety telecommunicators are the single vital link for our police officers and firefighters by monitoring their activities via radio, providing information and insuring their safety.”

Perhaps no one is more in tune with the importance of public safety telecommunicators in Lake County, al0ong with all they do for the communities they serve, than Capt. Mike Warner, who not only is the executive officer in charge of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Communications division. He’s also a retired fire chief with 40 years under his belt in that part of the public safety industry.

“Being a dispatcher is a very complex job,” Warner wrote in a recent report on the subject. “It is said that dispatching is more of a calling than a job, much like a police officer, a firefighter or nurse. We are not superheroes, but our skills can save lives.”

He added that, although dispatchers aren’t out in the communities and, therefore, aren’t as visible as police officers or firefighters, they do an indispensable job.

“You may never see us, but we are always ready to answer your call on possibly the worst day of your life,” Warner said. “My job is not for everyone, but our passion for this job is what makes us all unique.”

In their March 30 resolution, the Lake County commissioners officially recognized the observance and gave kudos to “a distinct number of dedicated telecommunicators (who) serve the citizens of Lake County on a daily basis by answering their telephone calls for police, fire and emergency medical services.”