LISBON — Columbiana County Commissioners and the Emergency Management Agency celebrated area emergency dispatchers on Wednesday by declaring National Public Safety Communications Week, which began on Sunday and will run through Saturday.
“They remain calm and professional when you call them on what is probably your worst day. They are the first responders,” she says. said EMA County Deputy Director/911 Coordinator Brian Rutledge.
Routledge estimated that the county relied on more than 50 dispatchers answering calls at the various police departments, with at least 38 dispatchers answering 911 calls at one of the 911 call centers located at the police departments in Salem, East Liverpool, Columbiana, and East Palestine. and the county sheriff’s office.
To become certified, 911 dispatchers must pass 72 hours of training, including a 40-hour basic course and a 32-hour emergency medical dispatch course. Each year they must complete up to 24 hours of continuing education to maintain their certification.
Rutledge said that present-day dispatchers have to deal with a lot when they are on the radio, including the recent challenge of what they refer to as “beating” False calls when someone calls an emergency at a given address.
“You have to treat it like it’s legitimate,” he said, implying that emergency responders should respond as if it were the real deal.
During the meeting of the commissioners, he noted that as we have seen over the past several years, there is more to dealing with mass casualties and natural or other disasters, and dispatching has become more of a profession than a job.
“I want to thank the dispatchers for the great job they have done,” He said.
Routledge read the declaration approved by the commissioners which said that telecommunications were for public safety “It is the most important means of communication for members of our society with emergency services.” Which “The only vital link for our police officers, firefighters and paramedics by monitoring their activities by radio, providing them with information and ensuring their safety.”
Announcement said messengers “He contributed greatly to catching criminals, putting out fires and treating patients,” All during the show “Empathy, understanding and professionalism while doing their job last year.”
In his written notes, Routledge acknowledged the abilities of the messengers to “Focus on a number of diverse tasks while simultaneously asking questions and reassuring a stunned caller, or providing pre-reach instructions to a child whose parents have broken down.”
He said the missionaries’ contributions did not go unnoticed in Columbiana County.