LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol are honoring the dedicated men and women who serve as call-takers and dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which takes place April 8 to 14.
Public safety dispatchers provide lifesaving services to the public and law enforcement.
“Whether it is wildfires, mudslides, an injury collision, or any other emergency, dispatchers have proven to be an essential link between our officers, the public, and support services,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “I am very proud of our public safety dispatchers who provide an indispensable service to the public every day of the year.”
Dispatchers are the bridge between law enforcement and the public, making sure the proper assistance is provided. In an instant, a dispatcher must be ready to engage with a caller and determine the proper response to ensure safety.
Dispatchers oftentimes stay on a call, giving lifesaving instructions or providing a sympathetic ear to a person in crisis.
The CHP has 25 Communications Centers statewide, employing more than 900 professional public safety dispatchers who handled approximately 9.2 million calls last year.
In Lake County, the week is being marked with proclamations from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday and the Clearlake City Council on Thursday.
Officer Kory Reynolds of the Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville said calls for Lake and Mendocino counties are routed through the communications center in Ukiah.
He said after watching dispatchers at work you develop a quick appreciation for the work they do and their ability to multitask in the midst of difficult situations, adding it takes a special person to do the work well.
The CHP’s public safety dispatchers are on the front lines of public safety and service, fielding many of the cellular 9-1-1 calls in the state.
Law enforcement telecommunicators include the public safety operators, public safety dispatchers, public safety dispatch supervisors, and telecommunication technicians who provide radio, telephone, and computer services to law enforcement.
In the event the public needs to call 9-1-1, the following tips will help callers and dispatchers during an emergency:
– Stay calm.
– Be prepared to provide your name, phone number, address or location, and a detailed description of the incident or vehicle being reported.
– Wireless devices do not always give the call-taker your location. Providing an accurate location of the emergency may be the single most important piece of information for the dispatcher. This allows them to send help to the correct place.
– Listen carefully and follow all directions provided by the dispatcher.
– Wait for the dispatcher to ask questions, and then answer clearly and calmly.
– Be prepared to provide a physical description if the emergency involves a criminal suspect.
– Please remember 9-1-1 is to be used only to report emergencies in progress. Misuse of the emergency 9-1-1 system is not only against the law, but it delays callers with real emergencies.
The CHP is always seeking qualified candidate who are interested in a rewarding career as a public safety dispatcher.
Reynolds reported that the Ukiah communications center currently is short on dispatchers.
For more information and the testing schedule: https://www.chp.ca.gov/CHP-Careers/Public-Safety-Dispatcher or feel free to contact your local CHP public information officer for more information.
CHP recognizes telecommunications professionals
- Lake County News reports
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