| The Honey Brook Fire Company, along with other Emergency Service Organizations throughout the country, will be joining together to honor the men and women who serve as Public Safety Dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 13 - 19, 2008.
The Chester County Department of Emergency Services Communications Center serves as the county's public safety answering point for fire, rescue and police incidents, using the county's Enhanced-911 (E-911) system. The center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in West Chester.
Emergency and non-emergency fire and rescue calls are processed and police-related calls are transferred to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Each shift includes workers who are certified in various aspects of emergency medical and fire dispatch and meet the national standards set forth by the Association of Public - Safety Communications Officers (APCO).
Chester County Department of Emergency Services is located in the Chester County Government Services Center in West Goshen Township, and serves over 465,000 citizens in 73 municipalities.
The 9-1-1 Communications Center handles over 300,000 calls a year. This is about 900 calls for assistance a day.
Introduced to Congress by the APCO International in 1991, National Public-Safety Telecommunications Week is the second full week of April each year. This week is dedicated to public safety Telecommunicators who aid in providing 9-1-1 emergency assistance to citizens everywhere.
Everyday, millions of people depend on the skill, expertise and commitment of the men and women who work in pubic safety telecommunications. These individuals help save countless lives by responding to emergency calls, dispatching emergency professionals and equipment and providing moral support to citizens in distress.
The term "9-1-1" is often associated with rapid emergency response, poise under pressure, aid and compassion in times of distress and critical decision-making within seconds. Many people do not stop and think about these seemingly nameless, faceless individuals until they experience actual emergencies themselves. These professionals make the difference between life and death in many instances. |
