"Just because you don't see my face, doesn't mean I'm not saving your life. Behind every hero, there is a guardian looking out for them and I am the heroes' guardian. I am a 911 dispatcher." Anonymous
Celebrating Our Heroes at 911
National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week
Eugene Police Department is recognizing and congratulating all of our dedicated professionals who serve our agency and community through their efforts at our Central Lane 911 Center. These initial first responders are the ones who take first-line action to preserve the peace of mind safety and lives of officers and community members.
Last year, Central Lane Communications Center received 314,964 incoming telephone calls. Of those, 131,464 or almost 42 percent were 9-1-1 emergency calls.
They are:
- The calm voice in the middle of the night when someone is scared and whispering that they hear footsteps in their house
- Able to understand the broken snippets of radio traffic to initially determine how field units should respond
- Discerning, so that that even though a caller says everything is okay, it indeed might just be the opposite, then send officers to check
- An encouraging voice when the caller’s baby is not breathing
- A confident, firm voice that helps a panicked family member effectively perform CPR on a loved one.
These are the first, first responders on any call from the public and they ensure that all of our police officers, community service officers, animal welfare officers, firefighters, and medics get home safely each day.
They fulfill many roles: telecommunicators, dispatcher, call taker, 911 operator, tactical dispatcher, emergency medical dispatchers, and more.