First responders celebrate dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - First responders across the country are celebrating their dispatchers starting today as part of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
This special week spans from April 12 to 18.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office announced it is honoring all public safety dispatchers who serve as the lifeline between people in need and vital law enforcement services.
Dispatchers are the workers who answer your calls 24/7 whenever there is a need or emergency. They work hard to communicate information, save lives and make sure everyone is where they need to be.
In 2019, the public safety dispatchers and supervisors at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office answered more than 369,000 telephone calls, including 126,000 9-1-1 calls, and every year, that number grows.
Day in, and day out, hundreds of people depend on the skill, expertise and commitment of the dispatchers who work in public safety communications. These team members handle emergency telephone calls, dispatch law enforcement resources, and provide moral support to people in distress. Their "normal" workday is anything but normal in so many ways.
In order to enter their positions and do what they do, public safety dispatchers must undergo a rigorous testing and background process.
After they have been hired, new dispatchers must attend a three-week Basic Dispatcher Course that is certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Typically, this training also includes 2 additional weeks of classroom training and between six to 12 months of on-the-job training before the new dispatcher is allowed to work independently.
Even then, approximately 50% of dispatchers that are hired are not able to successfully complete the training program due to the unique demands and stress of the job.
This week police, fire, sheriff's offices and more are celebrating the strength and commitment given everyday by their public safety dispatchers.
