Imagine sitting in a small room with six, large computer monitors in front of you. The phone rings and the person on the other end of the line is screaming because their loved one is not breathing.
Such is the life of a public safety telecommunicator (dispatcher). This week, we celebrate the work they do, often without thanks.
The second week of April each year is recognized as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, shining the spotlight on dispatchers, who are an integral part of the emergency response team.
The CUPD dispatch center can be a lonely place. It is a small room filled with computer monitors and, usually, a single dispatcher. But this center answers more than 25,000 phone calls each year for many different reasons. The CUPD dispatchers work 24 hours a day each and every day of the year to provide a vital link between the university community and public safety services, including police, fire, ambulance, parking, security and more.
While answering the phone lines, dispatchers are also required to communicate over the radio with police officers, community safety officials听and firefighters to quickly provide them with needed information. Our dispatchers are dedicated to providing prompt, efficient and progressive emergency communications to the campus community.
鈥淥ur dispatchers work tirelessly to be the voice of calm in the caller鈥檚 storm while also providing important information to our officers in the field,鈥� said Interim Police Chief Paula Balafas. 鈥淲e are all very proud and thankful for the work that they do.鈥�
