NEWPORT, N.Y. — On April 14th — In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Department Newport Fire Co. #4 thanked dispatchers for their ongoing contributions to the emergency services community. As the initial point of contact in an emergency, dispatchers respond to 911 calls and coordinate fire, emergency medical services, and law enforcement responses around-the-clock. Gathering information from callers, sending out emergency units, keeping an eye on radio traffic, and assisting responders during emergencies are some of their duties.

According to department officials, emergency telecommunicators are crucial to responder and public safety because they enable personnel to respond to calls with timely and correct information. Every April, the United States observes National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week to honor emergency communications workers for their commitment and service.