This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and local emergency personnel are showing their appreciation for the work done by dispatchers throughout the year.

Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard says there are three centers he typically deals with — Perry Police Dispatch, Westcom Dispatch in West Des Moines, and the E911 Dispatch in the center of the County — and he emphasizes that he couldn’t do his job were it not for them. Leonard points out that there are many services that dispatchers provide that people may not think of, such as helping a citizen perform life-saving CPR at the scene before Emergency Medical Services arrive, or alerting officers that they’re dealing with a potentially dangerous suspect.

More than anything, Leonard says telecommunicators are the link between emergency personnel and the citizen, and the importance of that link cannot be understated. “They are that calm voice on the other side of the phone line, telling people what to do while their waiting for Fire, EMS, (or) law enforcement to arrive. It takes a special person to do that, and we want to make sure that we recognize them every year during this week. (It’s a) very important job, and it’s a stressful job. So we thank them all for doing what they do.”

Leonard says this week the dispatchers throughout the County have been treated to special meals provided by the Sheriff’s Deputies, local firefighters and police officers, and the EMS Department. To learn more about National Telecommunicators Week, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.