NPSTW in Virginia
Good evening, Virginia. On this first day of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, I want you to know how grateful I am and the Board is for the work you do, the way you do it, …
Dispatchers Are Detectives Too
During your assigned shift you dispatched officers to the B2 Enterprises Gun Store to investigate the theft of a firearm that just occurred. An unknown person had stolen a shotgun from a countertop in the gun store.
I Know My True North
I know my true North. We all have our own. The moral compass inside where our integrity pulls the needle to your true North. I have been a Dispatcher (no, I am not offended to …
How we celebrate NPSTW @ UKPD
This year we chose to honor our Telecommunicators by having a giant banner that says “We Appreciate You” and we had everyone in the department write a note expressing their thanks. There were also baked …
Dedication and Recognition Countywide.
Putnam County WV 911 Telecommunicators were recognized for their hard work and dedication. The County Commission and the City of Hurricane signed Proclamations acknowledging National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Putnam County, WV.
Kern County NPSTW 2016
This year at our center, located in Bakersfield California, we are having a blast ! Each shift has participated in a dress up contest including support your sports and Patriotic day. At the end of …
911 What Is Your Emergency?
Please click the link and watch Shreveport Fire Department Communications Division in action. Black Helmet Films, producer of the “Another 24” mini-series about the life of firefighters, has put together a new video to showcase …
Dispatch Appreciation Week 2016
This year we gave our staff years of service pins for 5 or more years of service. We put 4 bags with gift certificates attached to the bags, and each dispatcher put a ticket in …
A Week of Appreciation and Food
Generally it is a week of appreciation and FOOD! Our Fire and EMS agencies along with our administrative staff provide a lunch or dinner for each shift every day of the week. Command Staff from …
City of Burlington Proclamation April 10 – 16 as PST Week
Fire Public Safety Telecommunications staff were invited to the April 11th City of Burlington Council Meeting where the Mayor read a proclamation to Council and attendees (also webcast) proclaiming Apr. 10 – 16 as Public …
A Special Week
This has been a special week for staff – on Monday the Fire Marshal’s office dropped off 3 foot sandwiches for each shift (with chips and drink) – on Wednesday the Police Chief had an …
No Uniforms All Week
We are fortunate enough to work for a Department that is allowing us, ALL WEEK, with no uniform. Each day is a designated theme and today for us is sports day! As you can see, …
Franklin County PA NPSTW
Attached you will find a picture of a few of the dispatch staff from Franklin County, PA Department of Emergency Services. On the left is Megan Ruby, dispatch liaison from our regional EMS governing body, …
Reason Enough to Feel Like A Hero
I began my career in law enforcement in 1986 at age 19 as a dispatcher. I spent many years on the night shift and the evening shift and finally the day shift behind the radio …
The Promise
I have been a dispatcher with the Birmingham Police Department for more than 17 years. I began my career on the 3-11 shift and what an exciting ride it was. I received a call about …
My Memories of 9/11/01
As part of Arlington Public Library’s commemoration of the fifth anniversary of 9/11, we conducted a series of interviews with first responders and others to share their stories and memories of that time. Jennifer Meyers …
Why I Love What I Do
I originally applied to be a Communications Officer because I wanted a foot in the door to the Public-Safety community. Little did I know, it would be a career I fell in love with. The …
Why I Am a Dispatcher
I have always wanted to be involved in law enforcement ever since I was a young child. I started my career in dispatching July 25, 2005 when I was hired part time at Edinburgh Police …
Save the Ice Cream
At the time, I was working at White Settlement Pd. The electricity was out for part of the city due to a big storm passing through. An elderly lady called wanting to know when the …
Game Ideas for NPSTW
In the past we had played a few fun games that everyone seemed to enjoy. We have had a jar of different kind of M&M’s with money hidden in a Ziploc bag inside. Whomever came …
Remembering Why …
It seems that every day at work is the same old same old. I used to believe I was making a difference. Now lately it’s just been doing my job. It’s what I’m supposed to …
Because We Have the Answers
It was April 27th in the year 2000. I applied for a job where my only personal knowledge consisted of what happened on television. My trainer was a seasoned veteran who would soon retire. She …
Why I Am a Dispatcher and Still Doing It
I began my dispatching career in Alliance, Nebraska in 1975. Working for the Alliance Police Department as a dispatcher/matron. I worked for them for 2 years and then my family became more important so I …
Telling Our Story
I didn’t plan to become a dispatcher. Like so many of my fellow brothers and sisters, I fell into the job as a back-up for the regular dispatcher when I was working as an EMT. …
We Matter, We Save Lives
Every morning people wake up to get their day started. Ready to conquer their work day. Ready to complete the work load they already know they have ahead. As a 9-1-1 dispatcher we get up …
A Family, A Friend, A Co-Worker and A Life Saver
911 dispatch has been a part of my life since I was 23 years old, starting in the field in 2004. I started my career not knowing anything about this job or how it was …
Not Like Every Day
That day that starts like every day. 911 calls, non-emergency calls, dispatching units, running names and vehicles, entering, locating, clearing, repeat, just like every day. Until that call comes in that says that all available …
Why I Am a Public Safety Telecommunicator
My journey to be a public safety telecommunicator has been very different than most telecommunicators. I started as a police/fire dispatcher in northeast Indiana in the late 70s. There was no CAD, no 9-1-1, only …
A Day in the Life: My Story
My story is words. Words that alone are meaningless, but together, make up the very essence of my being. Words that changed me from the core, and have made me who I am. These words are …
January 8, 2011 – The True “First” Responders
It was one of those “once in a lifetime” events during your career that you pray will never be repeated. Even more than 5 years later I remember that day like it was yesterday. The …
An Unusual 911 Call
This happened while I was working as a dispatcher for the Washington County Sheriffs Office in Blair, Nebraska. One morning I received a 911 call from a 12-year-old who said she was taking a bubble …
It’s a BOY!
January 29th, 2015 started out in the dispatch center like any other day. We arrived at 0600 to start the shift, and settled in for the next 12 hours. At approximately 0830 Dispatcher Enloe answered …
Just When You Think You Have Heard It All
This year marks my 20th year in 9-1-1. I am a tenured dispatcher that still LOVES answering phones. For me, it is a reminder that no matter what is going on in my life, someone …
911 Dispatch – A Newbie’s Journey
This is a story of 18 weeks of 911 dispatcher training. My hope is to inspire more potential dispatchers, enlighten trainers and bring hope to those already into training. I will hit my 2 year …
Unexpected Negotiations
I started my career as a 911/police dispatcher in 1998 at the Salt Lake City Police Dept. I grew up listening to my mom’s scanner and felt extra covert special because I had learned the …
The Reason I’m a Public Safety Communicator
With my father being an EMT and firefighter and my mother a phone operator I knew I wanted a career where I too could make a difference and help others. I love the adrenalin rush …
Self Dispatched First Responder
On 04/21/97, I began my journey as a public servant with the Shreveport Fire Department. Our agency is the primary PSAP and the initial point of contact with the citizens of Caddo Parish. I had …
Switched Frequency Helps Officer in Trouble
I began my career as a 911 dispatcher just about six years ago. Four short months into my career I heard my first “plea” for an officer assist over the radio. It’s a moment I …
Who Does 911 Call When They Have A Problem?
As the person really behind (and under and inside) a console… I’m one of the people that 911 calls when they have a problem! Every call center has tons (literally TONS) of electronic equipment and …
A Chance
The first thing he said when I answered the phone was, “I just shot myself in the heart.” Given that he was still speaking, I figured he probably didn’t hit his heart, but the point …
Nothing Else
My name is Wesley Hutchens and I have worked with Forsyth County 911 since May 2000 when I was hired as 911 telecommunicator. In 2010 I was promoted to Shift Supervisor and in 2014 I …
GPS Saved a Life
Roughly six months ago I was working a radio when I was notified by a call taker that she received a 911 call from a gentleman pleading for help and said he was going to …
Grab a Shovel
I started with Bridgeton PD in September of 1978 as a police dispatcher. I had no previous experience dispatching and was pretty intimidated by the radio. The fourth midnight watch into my training, my trainer …
The Unsung Heroes
I began my career as a 911 telecommunicator in March 2012, after 4 years of working in emergency medical services. At the time I was looking to pursue a different career in public safety, when …
