This week, April 8-14, 2018 is National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, which is designated as a time to recognize the amazing work of our very own Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center. These dedicated and amazing professionals not only handle the huge demand of incoming telephone calls for service through our agency, but are also the lifeline for our public safety members who respond to emergency calls and critical incidents each and every day. When a critical incident is taking place, this highly qualified team not only work to keep our deputies updated and safe, but to also talk our citizens through the worst imaginable situations possible.
“Their job is certainly not an easy one, in fact it is not a job that many people can do, but it is vital to protecting our community and each of them deserves our praise and gratitude for everything they do to keep us safe” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. “So this week I ask you to take a moment and thank our Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center and Team for all they do throughout the year to help protect our community.”
These telecommunications officers are known as the “voice without a face” to the motoring public and are normally the first to receive the call when assistance is needed.
Linked to the emergency only by a phone line, it’s up to the 9-1-1 dispatcher to determine what’s going on, what needs to happen to respond to the emergency, and what personnel and equipment needs to be dispatched.
A screaming mother holding the limp body of her baby, a distraught elderly person trying to wake up their spouse, a child hiding in a closet while it’s parents fight in the next room, or a confused person who was just in an automobile accident and doesn’t know where they are – these are just a few of the types of calls that come into our 9-1-1 call center. It’s up to the 9-1-1 Telecommunicator to calm the caller, enter precise information into a computer, and do the actual dispatching of equipment and people.
“The real first responder to any incident is the 9-1-1 communications officer. They are the person picking up the phone and saying “9-1-1, where’s your emergency? Our Telecommunicators become the first contact for people who are in a crisis of some kind. They are the link that brings the Police, the Deputy Sheriff, the Firefighters, or the Paramedics and EMTs. They are the “first” First Responders,” said Leeper.
Photos: A few of our 911 Communications Officers show off their team pride
