This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and it’s a chance for the public and law enforcement to thank their first line of defense.

Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn says the dispatch center for all public safety departments, including his own, is critical for many reasons. He points out that officers and firefighters rely on accurate information from telecommunicators to know exactly what it is they’re about to get into, which oftentimes are dangerous situations or those that require a fast response. Vaughn also emphasizes that the dispatching duties are just the tip of the iceberg. “You know, we typically think they’re answering phones and giving information out to the officers and to the firemen. But (there’s) so many other things that we ask for them to do. They often talk to people that are very panicked in emergency situations. So they’re that first, calming voice that maybe you hear when you call us. So I can’t say enough about what the guys and gals that work in our dispatch center do for us every day.”

Vaughn says his dispatchers also help with jailing, administration, and activating storm sirens, among other tasks. To learn more about Telecommunicators Week, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.