Friday, April 6, 2018
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Springfield Emergency Communications Director D. Jeremy DeMar announce the City of Springfield’s recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, observed April 8 to 14, 2018.
Across the nation in times of intense personal crisis and community-wide disasters, the first access point for those seeking all classes of emergency services is 9-1-1. The local and county public safety communications centers that receive these calls have emerged as the first and single point of contact for persons seeking immediate relief during an emergency.
Springfield Emergency Communications (9-1-1) is celebrating the second full week of April (April 8-14, 2018) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render lifesaving assistance to the citizens of the United States.
“The work that Director DeMar and our 9-1-1 dispatchers do is ‘front line’ critical and deeply appreciated in enhancing our public safety response and attack,” said Mayor Sarno. “It is right to celebrate their efforts in making our Springfield a better place to live and work.”
Director DeMar stated, “On any given day and at any given time, 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers in the City of Springfield are fielding emergency calls from those in need and sending the necessary response. More often than not, these professionals are the first point of contact for someone experiencing a personal emergency or reporting a problem. It’s not at all uncommon for our call takers to remain on the phone with a distraught person while an emergency is occurring, which exposes these professionals to a great deal of stress and secondary trauma. They are truly the FIRST of the first responders in our community, and a vital piece of the public safety picture in Springfield. I’m happy we can publicly acknowledge their work and the contribution these professionals make every day.”
Springfield Emergency Communications (9-1-1) serves the citizens of the City of Springfield, and provides primary dispatch services for the Springfield Police Department and Springfield Fire Department. In 2017, Springfield Emergency Communications (9-1-1) answered almost 275,000 calls for service.
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide - and the welfare of the general public as a whole – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.