Thank you for recognizing Emergency Dispatchers
Dear Editor:
Re: The unseen bravery of the few
Your article in support of 911 dispatchers was emailed to me by a good friend and fellow California Highway Patrol dispatch supervisor.
With your permission I would like to present it to my dispatchers and the dispatchers from allied agencies in my county, Humboldt County, at our Dispatcher of the Year dinner tonight. So often we feel that we are alone, that no one realizes that we agonize along with the Officers and Firefighters on the scene of an incident-be it a traffic accident or a major incident. We are often left wondering what the outcome was- with no closure for us. I believe this is why we lose good dispatchers to stress related incidents. Our Department has begun to realize that the dispatchers need debriefings and often counseling following a major incident. We have lost 6 officers in the past 6 months to violence. Our dispatchers knew them. They may never have met them face to face, but they certainly know the voice on the radio. This incident is as critical to them as it is to the uniformed members of our department.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, Thank You John. Thank you for recognizing the dispatchers with this excellent article. It is “National Telecommunications Week”. A week to honor our dispatchers and dispatchers everywhere for the important, vital service they provide.
Toni Tyson
Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor
California Highway Patrol
