Orange City, Iowa — This is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, a time to recognize those who serve as the first point of contact in emergencies and provide critical support to law enforcement, fire, and EMS.
Sioux County Sheriff Nate Huizenga tells us about these individuals who operate the phones, computers, and radios and push the buttons to page emergency crews and start the outdoor warning sirens — often called “dispatchers.”
Huizenga says they’ll do something special to honor their telecommunicators this week. He says they handle several calls every shift.
Huizenga says the Sioux County telecommunicators answer each call with professionalism, urgency, and care. And that’s just their emergency center. He says each county in Iowa has at least one dispatching center. And that’s in addition to the Department of Public Safety dispatchers, who dispatch the Iowa State Patrol, the DNR, the DCI, and other state agencies. Some bigger cities also have their own dispatching centers.
Huizenga says they honor them for dedicating their lives to serving the public. He says they are blessed in Sioux County to have professional dispatchers working around the clock every day. They are a lifeline not only for the public, but also for all law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel who face unknown situations daily, says Huizenga.
He invites you to join them in honoring and thanking these unseen heroes who have chosen to serve.
KIWA Staff Photo
