Wentworth: Celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Valley Voices
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Across the nation in times of intense personal crisis and community-wide disasters, access for those seeking all types of emergency services is 9-1-1. The local and county emergency communications centers that receive these calls are the first point of contact for people seeking immediate relief during an emergency.
The Vail Public Safety Communications Center is celebrating the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International and celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to residents.
The staff at the Vail Communications Center are on duty 24/7, 365 days a year, and are standing by and always ready for your call. In 2022, these dedicated professionals responded to 122,433 telephone calls, 27,600 of which were 9-1-1 calls. Our dispatchers created 124,306 calls for service for six fire departments and four law enforcement agencies, as well as Eagle County Paramedic Services and Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, with calls ranging from traffic complaints and barking dogs to cardiac arrest.
Your local 9-1-1 call takers are trained in Emergency Medical Dispatch; they use this training along with a set of algorithms to provide pre-arrival instructions on every type of medical situation imaginable. During this past year they assisted callers with CPR instruction, choking, severe bleeding and even childbirth.
They have also helped find missing children, handled the complicated radio traffic of high-speed pursuits, calmed frightened callers, evacuated neighborhoods and coordinated the response to 54 structure fires. In fact, every emergency response that occurs in Eagle County originates in the Vail Public Safety Communications Center.
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The importance of recognizing and celebrating the hard work of these dedicated professionals at every level is immeasurable. They are proud to serve and will stand fast to their commitment and devotion to ensure the safety and security of Eagle County residents and visitors.
Marc Wentworth is the director of the Vail Public Safety Communications Center.