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To the editor: Each year, the second week in April is designated as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
It is a time to acknowledge and thank all of the people that work in this profession as public safety dispatchers. We have six public safety answering points in Berkshire County in North Adams, Williamstown, Great Barrington, Dalton, Pittsfield and at the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office. Public safety dispatchers have unique training and talents that allow them to be exactly who you need when you call 911. Maybe a loved one is experiencing a medical emergency and the dispatcher is able to use their emergency medical dispatch training to talk you through providing help until they can get police, fire or EMS response. Maybe you are contemplating ending your life and the dispatcher, through their words and tone, gives you a reason to seek help instead. Maybe you are a police officer, EMT or firefighter whose safety depends upon the critical information gathered by the dispatcher to get you safely to the location of your call…
