National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week runs this week, from April 11 to 17. This week honors thousands of men and women throughout the United States who answer emergency calls for assistance, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment and render...

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Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police are acknowledging National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, that runs through April 17.“Often called the ‘heroes behind the headsets,’ KSP telecommunicators provide a lifeline to both citizens in need and troopers in the field,” Beshear said. “They serve as an unseen but vital link in keeping law enforcement officers and Kentuckians safe at all times, day or night.”Kentucky State Police employs 185 telecommunicators at 16 posts.

“Our telecommunicators are challenged on a daily basis dealing with stressful situations, many that involve life and death, and they handle these situations with compassion, empathy and professionalism,” KSP Commissioner Phillip J. Burnett Jr. saidTelecommunicators handle dispatch duties for Kentucky state troopers, commercial vehicle enforcement officers, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife conservation officers and other emergency service agencies. Each year, KSP telecommunicators answer more than 2 million calls for service.“Answering countless 911 calls from Kentuckians who are afraid and worried, is not a service that should be seen as regular, but should be recognized as extraordinary,” said Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Mary C. Noble. “All of you are essential front-line workers who are faced with unique challenges daily, and you serve the commonwealth with the utmost integrity, skill and dedication.”During National Telecommunicator’s Appreciation Week, KSP plans to honor their dispatchers by highlighting stories and sharing photos on the agency’s social media platforms.The agency is currently hiring telecommunicators at local posts across the state.“Starting a job as a telecommunicator gives you the opportunity to observe different career options within the agency and helps you establish a solid foundation for whatever path you take,” Burnett said.State Police is seeking individuals who:
• Has excellent communication skills;• Has the ability to handle extremely stressful and challenging conditions;• Can handle flexible work schedules, including nights, weekends and holidays;• Has the ability to learn and adapt, especially in areas of technology.To apply, the applicant must meet the following requirements:• Must be a High School Graduate• Must obtain certification as a Telecommunicator by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council (KLEC) and LINK/NCIC Operator within twelve months of employment.• Shall not have been convicted of a felony or other crimes pursuant to KRS 15.540.For more information or to apply for a telecommunication position with KSP, log on to the state personnel website at https://careers.ky.gov.

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When she saw a help-wanted advertisement for dispatchers, Tammie Harrington didn’t know she was applying for the job that would become a 20-year career. “For me, it was just a stroke of luck,” Harrington said Tuesday. At the time, Harrington was a stay-at-home mother...

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C-Glenville) yesterday toured the new state-of-the-art 911 Dispatch Center at the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office in Ballston Spa and presented the agency with a NYS resolution he sponsored and passed commemorating our 911 dispatcher public...

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In 2020, 9-1-1 telecommunication professionals in Oregon answered approximately 2 million emergency calls for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services to protect the lives and property of Oregonians.  Since early in 2020, these...

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and to see what it's like to answer Pima County's calls for help, KGUN 9 went inside the dispatch center. “911, where’s your emergency?” 911 dispatchers answer your calls on what might be the...

ELMIRA, NY (WETM) – In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we are recognizing the dispatchers of our area in our First Responder Appreciation segment. Public Safety Telecommunicators, the 911 dispatchers, are a vital part of an emergency response....

For immediate releaseBERKLEY — Chief Scott Fournier, on behalf of Berkley Fire Rescue, wishes to recognize Berkley’s public safety dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. During the week of April 11-17, public safety agencies take time to...

MARICOPA — The words “first responder” often bring to mind images of blaring sirens, flashing red and blue lights and speeding emergency vehicles. Those first on scene to a catastrophe are frequently the ones recognized as first responders, but there is another group...

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - When you see a police car, fire truck or ambulance going to an emergency in Topeka and Shawnee County, a seldom-seen person is usually behind those calls. That person is a dispatcher who works out of the Shawnee County Emergency Communications...

  BELOIT — Like seemingly every workplace, the Rock County Communications Center adapted to ensure operations continued through the COVID-19 pandemic as dispatchers eye the future with optimism as an expansion of the facility is on the horizon. In 2020, Director Kathy...

Left to Right: Mayor Shane McFarland, Elizabeth Stubblefield and Seth Russell

Murfreesboro, Tenn. – Murfreesboro Emergency Communications Supervisor Elizabeth Stubblefield has been named 2021 Public Safety Telecommunicator of the Year for her selfless actions, dedication, hard work.Stubblefield takes pride in her work and is always willing to step up and help when needed. “Elizabeth’s calm demeanor during stressful times is a reassuring voice on the radio,” said Murfreesboro Communications Director Seth Russell.  “She is a 911 professional and will go above and beyond what’s is required.”Stubblefield is a four-year employee with the Emergency Communications Center. As a supervisor/trainer, she prepares for the unpredictable and teaches trainees the standard operating procedures, but also techniques for worst-case scenarios. Mayor Shane McFarland honored Stubblefield during the reading of a Proclamation recognizing April 11 – 17 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week at the City Council meeting on April 8.    “Stubblefield has an outstanding reputation with the Emergency Communicators Center and is highly deserving of this recognition,” Russell said.Stubblefield joins several Emergency Communications personnel across the state who are honored as 2021 Tennessee Public Safety Telecommunicators of the Year.

The state public defender’s office is appealing a recent court ruling dismissing its lawsuit over how a South Jersey county retains data potentially relevant in criminal cases. The Office of the Public Defender sued Gloucester County last year over issues involving a...

It now takes about half as much time for police dispatchers to answer 911 calls as it did during recent peaks just a couple years ago, officials with the Anchorage Police Department said this week. Wait times began to rise after 2015 and peaked in late 2018 and...