First Responder Friday Salutes 911 Dispatcher Judy Puma (NY)

Every Friday we honor the people who help us during our darkest times. This week we send the First Responder Friday salute to a veteran dispatcher Judy Puma.

Can you imagine a more stressful job than answering the calls of people who are in pure panic mode? Judy Puma has been doing it for 21 years with the Oneida County 911 Center. Remaining calm when on the other end of the line is someone trying to explain their emergency at a fast rate of speed can’t be easy. Then, Judy has to get the proper location, the type of emergency, and determine a proper response team…

Invisible 911 Dispatchers in New Jersey Face Uncertainty During Pandemic (NJ)

SPARTA, NJ –  On a fall day in 2019, a young boy riding his bicycle rolled onto the main road near his Sussex County home.  The reverberations from an oncoming dump truck would signal danger to any adult.  For this boy they foretold death.  Someone placed a 911 call.

Scot Sorensen, 49, is the 911 Coordinator for the Sparta Police Department SPD.  The dispatcher has answered over 100,000 calls during his 25 years on the job. The call about the 2-year-old boy stands as the worst in his career…

GCHS grad joins KSP Post 4 as dispatcher (KY)

12 Kentucky State Police telecommunicators, one of whom is from Grayson County, were recognized at graduation ceremonies for the 16th class of the agency’s in-house Telecommunications Academy.

KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer told the graduates that the role of a telecommunicator at KSP is one of the most pivotal positions in the agency.

“You are the voice of agency when the public calls in and desperately needs help, and that voice will set the stage for whether the situation turns out well or not,” said Brewer… 

SERESA dispatcher named Michigan Telecommunicator of the Year (MI)

ROSEVILLE — A South East Regional Emergency Services Authority dispatcher recently received an award for 2020 Telecommunicator of the Year.

Kathryn Schmelzer has worked for SERESA for two years and was nominated for the award by her supervisors. She was chosen over dispatchers from throughout Michigan. She is receiving the award from the Michigan Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, which oversees dispatchers all over the state…

First responders hold trunk or treat for kids (TN)

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Gibson County Emergency Dispatch held a social distancing trunk-or-treat.

Cars drove by with kids inside in the Gibson County E-911 parking lot. First responders passed out candy in order to bring a since of normalcy during COVID-19.

Because of the pandemic, kids are not able to walk up to homes while trick-or-treating, so first responders brought it to them…