They’re often described as the first, first responders.
This is National Public Safety Communicators Week and area officials are honouring the thousands of people who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency crews and offer life-saving assistance.
“Call takers are specially trained to gather the critical information needed to prioritize and dispatch calls,” says Marc Picard, Manager of the North Bay Central Ambulance Communications Centre. “Not all calls come in from a residential or business address—people need assistance at their cottages, on a snowmobile trail or somewhere on the highway. Dispatchers have to be able to identify a variety of locations on a digital mapping system to be able to send assistance wherever they are.”
Ambulance Communications Officers in our region receive more than 36,000 medical and fire calls a year for assistance.
Northeast Region OPP are also celebrating personnel at the Provincial Communications Centre in North Bay (PCCNB).
“Communications Operators support frontline operations in maintaining officer and public safety and are often the first point of contact between the public and the police,” states a release. “PCCNB now employs 112 people. These members are dedicated to providing the highest quality of service to the general public, the OPP and our policing partners.”
The North Bay Police Service took to social media to express their thanks to their “incredible team of public safety communicators.”
Thank you to our incredible team of public safety communicators, past & present. By working together we're able to build a stronger, safer community. Thank You for all you do! #NationalPublicSafetyTelecommunicatorsWeek pic.twitter.com/fZXoHxyYMl
— North Bay Police (@NorthBayPolice) April 11, 2022
