Dispatchers praised as lifelines

This week, the behind-the-scenes workers in public safety are being recognized for their dedication and commitment to helping people every hour of every day.

"They are the lifeline of the community and the forgotten part of our operation," said Deputy Chief John Lekan. "Yet they are as critical as any other element."

April 11-17 is National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.  It is celebrated each year to honor the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency personnel and equipment and render life-saving assistance.

Yuma Mayor Al Krieger read a proclamation dedicating the week at a ceremony for all area 911 dispatchers Tuesday afternoon at the Yuma Police Department's community room.

"Almost every call that comes in is an emergency on the other end," Krieger said. "(Dispatchers) are our first responders. They take a lot of pride in what they do and they deserve the credit."

Lekan and Krieger both said dispatchers are unsung heroes who can be the difference between life and death for people.

On Tuesday and again Wednesday, the Yuma Public Safety Communications Division is hosting two full days of training and a celebratory luncheon for Yuma-area Public Safety Telecommunications Professionals.

This is the fourth year the Yuma Public Safety Communications Division has hosted the training, which focuses on a different aspect of their jobs each year.

So far this year, the city of Yuma's Public Safety Communications Center has received 208,555 calls, including 52,035 calls to 911.

"The dispatchers are pretty much our lifeline. They are the ones we have direct contact with," Lekan said. "They are the ones who give us the information to do our jobs better."

Three to six dispatchers are on duty at all times at the communications center, where medical, fire and police calls are handled for the city. All of the dispatchers are highly trained to handle both police and fire calls.

"People always see the police officer or firefighter but usually don't remember the voice who helped get them there," said Heater Pyeatt-Morris, a 911 dispatch supervisor at the communications center. "We are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are always there waiting."

In addition to being the first point of contact for emergency calls, the dispatcher handle a wide variety of calls, including reports of suspicious behavior, unusual incidents and calls concerning national security.

Pyeatt-Morris said dispatchers must be able to stay calm, even when the caller isn't, and they must be able to quickly gather the information needed to dispatch an emergency call.

"I do this because I love serving the community and helping the police officers and firefighters do their jobs," Pyeatt-Morris said.

Pyeatt-Morris, who has has been handling 911 calls for nine years, said while the job can be rewarding, the stress, at times, can be difficult to manage.

"The hardest part of the job is staying unemotional and unattached, yet still be able to help the caller."

She added one of the things about her job that makes it more stressful is knowing she often is sending police officers and firefighters into dangerous situations.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, Pyeatt-Morris said, is not just about publicly recognizing those who work as dispatchers. It is also an opportunity, she said, for them to appreciate each other as co-workers and the team effort that goes behind the scenes that makes their jobs possible.