Lyon County Sheriff's Office recognizes National Public Safety Telecommunications Week
Submitted by editor on Fri, 04/15/2016 - 9:17am
The week of April 10 through 16, 2016 is Public Safety Telecommunications Week (Emergency Services Dispatchers). This time is dedicated to the recognition of the dedicated men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators, more commonly known as “dispatchers.”
Sheriff Al McNeil and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office salute these men and women who answer the call and save lives every day.
“Any hour of the day or night, and under the pressure of the most demanding of circumstances, our dispatchers maintain the utmost of dedication, professionalism, hard work and self-less service.”
Although rarely acknowledged, because they are not physically at the scene, the hearts behind the voices serve as vital links to emergency services throughout Lyon County.
Dispatchers are on the frontline of public safety when it comes to handling any crisis or calls for service. Around the clock these men and women answer calls ranging from simple fixes like a cat in the tree to traumatic events such as the loss of life.
This recognition was first conceived by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County (Calif.) Sheriff's Office in 1981 as a means to honor the agency’s dispatchers. Three years later the Virginia and North Carolina chapters of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) adopted the special recognition. By the early 1990s, the national APCO organization convinced Congress of the need for a formal proclamation. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced what became House Joint Resolution 284 to create "National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week," and 1994 it became a permanent nation-wide tribute.
Our dedicated group of Communications Specialist remains ever-ready to answer the calls and respond to the needs of the agencies and the citizens of Lyon County 24/7/365. Please join us this week in a moment of gratitude to the men and women of Lyon County Sheriff's Office Communications Bureau!
