An emergency is defined as a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. It is not something that most people experience on a daily basis. However, when an emergency strikes, we want to know that someone will help us. We call 911 to get that help. When that call is answered, we want a calm, professional, and efficient person on the line who deals with emergencies every day. That person is a Public Safety Telecommunicator or more commonly known as an E911 dispatcher.

The Union County E911 Center is celebrating the second full week of April (April 11-17) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week honors the thousands of men and women who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to their citizens.

Being an E911 dispatcher is one of the most unique jobs in public safety. They answer the emergency call, determine the nature of the emergency, determine who or what should be sent to the emergency, dispatch units to the scene, and record everything in the computer aided dispatch system.

E911 Dispatchers are experts at staying calm and keeping the caller calm. They are skilled in gaining information from excited or even frantic callers who, at times, provide limited information. The most amazing and unique skill of a dispatcher is the ability to multi-task. At times, they may be talking on the radio, listening to a caller, typing, looking at the computer mapping system and sharing information with other dispatchers all at the same time. It truly takes a special person to be an E911 dispatcher.

The E911 dispatcher is one of the most unsung heroes of public safety. They are the initial point where the emergency is received and communicated. They are the calm voice on the phone when someone calls 911, usually on the worst day of their lives. They are not as visible as other public safety, but you can rest assured that they will always be there.

The citizens of Union County should be proud to know that they have highly trained and competent E911 dispatchers who are dedicated to their job, their fellow public safety employees, and the citizens of Union County.