Habersham is celebrating the dedication and life-saving work of its E-911 dispatchers this week during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
The second week of April marks National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International. The week honors the thousands of E-911 telecommunicators who respond to emergency calls and dispatch emergency services.
Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California started the week in 1981, which is now nationally recognized. In Habersham County, local government is recognizing Habersham’s dispatchers, the unseen part of public safety, for their dedication and service.
“I want to say thank you to these dedicated individuals who answer the call for help every day,” says Habersham E-911 Director Lynn Smith. “It is a thankless job, and we want to show our appreciation during this week, designated as National Telecommunication Week.”
The four-shift groups of individuals who take emergency calls and dispatch public safety officials have worked tirelessly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic while being short-staffed. The staff members often work 12-hour shifts at the county’s E-911 call center, where they answer the calls that many couldn’t bear to hear.
“Even though you [dispatchers] are short-staffed, you still step up to the challenge,” Smith said. “Each one of you is very appreciated.”
