It’s National Telecommunicator Week - Thank you!
- Jessica Fletcher
- Apr 12, 2020
- 3 min read
I have been in the 911 industry for 10 years now. I love this job. One of the best things about the job is the people I work with everyday! They are an amazing group of people. Each day they come to work with the attitude of helping those around them. Because of who you are and what you do, I wanted to take a moment and say thank you!
Dear 911 Operator,
I know that you hear the worst of the worst and still answer the call each and every time. You train continually and do the best they can to help the caller and the people headed to you. You make beans so I know you do this job for so many other reasons.
You are the first person to answer the call for help and the first person forgotten about after the call is over. You are rarely thanked, but because of you people's lives are saved every day. You help deliver babies, you talk suicidal people into getting help, you find the lost, you figuratively hold the hands of those that are scared and dying as help comes to them. You get cussed at and accused of many wrongs that had nothing to do with you. You are a constant to those that we help.
First responders take you for granted and rarely remember you when the call goes right. Everyone is quick to point out all the things you did wrong and sometimes you make national news for mistakes that had nothing to do with you. You take the blame and rarely get the praise.
The government calls you a secretary - unless there is a COVID crises then you are lumped in with the first responders and mandated to work through it. Yet are excluded from the bills that are to help the first responders through this same crisis.
You are smart and funny. You think fast on your feet. Sometimes you cry after a call or after your shift. You deal with PTSD and high levels of anxiety. You go without sleep and you miss birthdays and holidays. Your friends and family never know when your awake.
You often deal with being short staffed and working overtime, answering phones for police, fire, medical, and public services. Some of you are jailers and records clerks on top of the dispatcher job. You babysit officers, guide in medics, all at the same time trying to keep everyone calm and safe.
You have a great sense of humor and often find the funny in the midst of the really dark stuff. You counsel, encourage, parent, coach, calm, direct, organize and instruct the chaos of the world. All while staring at a ton of computers - some of which are probably not working like they should - and trying to juggle every little thing that is thrown at you.
Ultimately, you play the greatest game of strategy every day. Thank you for being there. Thank you for your service. Thank you for all the times that you have saved the abducted child, given directions to good guys, caught the bad guys, and just plain Saved The Day. The world needs you, even if they don't know it.
Thank you to each and every one of you! Thank you for showing up! Thank you for taking the call! Thank you for giving all of yourself to serve those around you. You didn't take an oath, you don't have do this job. You all are my heroes.
Jess
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