Mayor Clark Presents National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Proclamation to 911 Emergency Dispatchers
KINGSPORT ‚¬ The Communications Specialists, also known as Dispatchers, of Kingsport Central Dispatch, are being honored during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), which takes place during the week of April 10 through 16, 2016.‚ In honor of the week, a cookout was held for the staff and Mayor John Cark presented a proclamation to honor and celebrate NPSTW.
Communications Specialists are the calm voice on the phone whenever a citizen calls 9-1-1 to report an emergency.‚ Kingsport Central Dispatch operates out of the newly constructed Kingsport Emergency Communications Center, located in Downtown Kingsport.
Kingsport couldnt be more proud of this group of individuals, said Mayor Clark. They are the lifeline for citizens who need help and the unseen first responders for all types of situations. They are responsible for dispatching the correct department to an emergency and making sure the responders, whether it be fire, police or EMS, get to their destination safely.
The 18 Communications Specialists in Kingsport Central Dispatch process roughly a quarter of a million telephone calls annually. Approximately twenty percent (50,000) of these calls are emergency calls to 9-1-1. ‚ Although a division of the Kingsport Police Department, Kingsport Central Dispatch also provides services for the Kingsport Fire Department, Sullivan County E.M.S., Kingsport Life Saving Crew, and other city departments and functions.
Every year during the second week of April, telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are honored. ‚ This week-long event was originally created in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office in California.‚ Her goal was to set aside a time to celebrate and thank these individuals who dedicate their lives to serving the public, and make people aware of their hard work and dedication.
The city of Kingsport would like to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to all of the employees of Kingsport 9-1-1 and thank them for their service to the city.
For more information, please visit http://Kingsport911.org or http://www.npstw.org.