RANDOLPH — Chief Anthony Marag wishes to recognize the department’s public safety dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
During the week of April 11-17, public safety agencies take time to reflect on the critical role telecommunications professionals play in supporting first responders. The week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, honors the thousands of men and women across the country who respond to emergency calls, dispatch first responders and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to residents.
The department’s Emergency Telecommunicator professionals are specially trained and handle thousands of calls for service every year. One month of intensive classroom and practical training is generally required to become a dispatcher, and dispatchers complete additional professional development training each year.
While their work is done outside of the view of the public, they are an essential resource for first responders and the public alike and serve as the first point of contact for members of the public seeking help in an emergency.
Randolph Police dispatchers — Matthew Fitzgerald, Greg Ander, Ray Saragian and Gillian Haley — receive 911 emergency and non-emergency calls, answering approximately 50,000 calls and coordinating approximately 22,000 police responses per year.
“We would not be able to do our jobs without the remarkable work of our dispatchers who gather and relay crucial information to the officers out in the community,” Chief Marag said. “This past year has presented many challenges to the public safety community, and our dispatch team has adapted and continued to provide a high level of service to our residents amid the everchanging protocols and restrictions affecting the dispatch center during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
About APCO International
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It sponsors National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week each year.
It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide — and the public welfare – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.
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