First, let’s start out with a little history.
Proclamation 6667 was signed on April 12, 1994, by President Bill Clinton; stating that every second week in April is set aside to recognize and celebrate the work and voice behind 9-1-1. House Bill 1090 was signed into effect in June of 2021, therefore re-classifying 9-1-1 Dispatchers as First Responders in the same way Police, EMS, and Firefighters are. The law went into effect on September 1st, 2021. This is a huge win for all dispatchers!
“I cannot think of a more stressful and demanding job in law enforcement than that of a telecommunicator. One must know how to multi-task like they are on an endless supply of Red Bull or speed! They answer multiple phones, manage three radio frequencies, console some of the most hostile & excited individuals who call during their worst moments, and do so all at once while maintaining their composure, remaining professional, and being the voice of hope and safety for those most in need. My hat is off to each and every one of you. God Bless you and thank you! I have personally experienced the saving, protective cover of a telecommunicator while working in the field.”
– Chief Eric Blanchard
This year, April 10th through the 16th is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week is dedicated to all of the men and women who quickly respond to 9-1-1 and the non-emergency calls.
Our Public Safety Telecommunicators serve our residents daily in countless ways; from the average run-of-the-mill administrative line calls to answering a life-altering emergency.
Aransas Pass Telecommunications Department consists of seven (soon to be eight!) Telecommunications Officers (TCO) and one Telecommunications Officer Supervisor (TCOS).
Our TCOs are the information hub of the department and the lifeline between our citizens and the help they need. They have shown immense courage, strength, and resilience throughout a natural disaster, a pandemic, and the loss of our beloved Supervisor, Friend, and Coworker, Crystal Bath; amongst other daily obstacles.
This amazing team is so great, that they even possess many hidden superpowers! Some of these include maintaining calmness in a time of chaos, being able to multitask while under pressure, and some of them even having quite the detective skills up their sleeve.
So during this week, and every week thereafter, give a round of applause, a pat on the back, and show your appreciation for our local heroes behind the mic or on the other side of the phone.
A HUGE thank you goes to our Telecommunications Officers:
Sheila Taylor, John Flowers, Rycca Martinez, Erica Murphy, Kassandra Rivera, Dee Simpson, Christy Generali, and Krista Morris.
Give thanks to your local 9-1-1 Telecommunicators!
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