Title
Presentation of proclamation for National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week 2024.
Body
Summary:
Congress has designated the second full week in April as National Public Safety Telecommunicator week. This week is recognized from April 14th through April 20th in 2024.
The Communications Unit of the Deer Park Police Department is integral to the City’s public safety. Many applicants find that the multitasking required to simultaneously take emergency calls, broadcast transmissions, give safety instructions, watch out for responder welfare, research critical information and log critical details exceeds their abilities. The telecommunicator position is noted to be as stressful as other first responder jobs.
Telecommunicators in Deer Park answer both non-emergency and 9-1-1 calls, as well as dispatch police, Fire, EMS and city resources in response to calls received. They must learn enough about each discipline in a short period of time to successfully coordinate with field units to resolve incidents. Adding to the complexity of the position is the proximity of the petrochemical refinery district and severe weather events.
However, duties can often be novel or interesting, if challenging. There are regular opportunities to provide for responder or citizen safety, and even save a life, which provides a great deal of fulfillment that other jobs lack. Telecommunicators are routinely a critical, if unseen, part of a public safety team watching over the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
We respectfully request that the Council Members of the City of Deer Park recognize April 14-20, 2024, as National Public Safety Telecommunicators week, in honor of the services performed by the men and women of the Deer Park Police Department’s Communication Unit.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
N/A.
Recommended Action
Applause.