National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Celebrates Melbourne’s Behind-the-Scenes Heroes
To recognize the critical role 911 communications officers play in keeping our community safe, the City of Melbourne annually joins with communities nationwide in designating the second week of April (April 11-17) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
“Our communications officers consistently answer ‘emergency’ calls, provide a calming influence and relay critical information to first responders,” said Melbourne Police Chief David Gillespie. “They provide vital and sometimes lifesaving support to our police officers yet often do not receive the credit for the tremendous job they do.”
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week honors the men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance.
When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property. Melbourne’s Communications Center receives, classifies and prioritizes calls from the public and dispatches calls that require police or fire rescue response. In addition to handling a tremendous number of calls (an average of 130,000 per year), they often help de-escalate volatile situations and help police officers and detectives stop and solve crimes.
The Communication Center employees continue to respond to the need of the community as well as the Police Department on a daily basis. The dedication displayed by the Communication Center employees was exemplified during COVID as they continue to report to work to help serve their community and ensure the calls for help never go unanswered.
During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week we encourage residents to learn more about these behind-the-scenes heroes and to send messages of thanks and support to them via the Melbourne Police Department Facebook page (@MelbourneFLPolice) or by e-mailing ray.desmarais@mlbfl.org.
