San Andreas, CA…Each year, during the second week of April, we honor our 9-1-1 Dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week-long event, established in 1981, is an opportunity to celebrate and express gratitude to those who dedicate their lives to serving the public. It is a time to recognize their hard work and commitment, ensuring their invaluable contributions are acknowledged and appreciated.

Often referred to as “the first, first responders”, these specially trained individuals are always prepared to respond to calls, often facing uncertainty about the nature of the situation on the other end of the line. Within moments of answering a call, a dispatcher may find themselves providing lifesaving medical instructions, demonstrating their crucial role in emergency response and public safety.

Dispatchers are the unseen faces of their departments, working behind the scenes within the dispatch center and communicating solely through telephone lines and radio. While the public is familiar with the visible presence of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics who respond during emergencies, the vital contributions of dispatchers frequently go unrecognized. They are essential in coordinating responses and ensuring effective communication in critical situations.

Deputies and other first responders rely heavily on dispatch for timely information and support. Every deputy who has requested assistance (additional back-up) during critical incidents knows this all too well. There is an old saying in law enforcement: “You may know where you are, and God may know where you are, but if dispatch doesn’t know where you are, you and God better be on good terms.”

Please join us in thanking all the hardworking men and women who staff these dispatch centers nationwide and specifically thanking the dispatchers who work inside the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department. They provide the vital link to the first responders keeping Calaveras County safe 24 hours a day, seven days a week.