April 9th -April 15th is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – This week marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. It’s a time celebrate those who answer our calls for help.
It comes around every second week of April and provides the opportunity to celebrate these hard workers.
Allen Stensland works for the Cape Girardeau Police Department as a telcommunicatior.
Stensland says telecommunicators are like first link in the chain that starts the process of helping someone.
“We are that first link in the chain. If that chain is not there nothing happens. Who are you going to call, who is going be able to ask the questions, who’s going to be able to find out the information needed to get the correct officers, that correct firefighters, paramedics,” said Stensland.
Stensland has worked says this week is nice to be recognized as part of the team.
“It’s just the recognition that we are part of the team and it’s just nice to have a little bit of time to be recognized for it,” said Stensland.
Telecommunicators are often times the first ones to get called during the worst times in a person’s life, helping to connect those in potentially life-threatening situations, to emergency services.
But Stensland says they also help fulfil other needs such as getting records and reports to the public when requested.
“Administrative [work] such as people looking for records for their police reports that they’ve made or a report from the fire department of some kind just general questions that are being asked.”
Stensland says this week of celebration is very appreciated, but helping people is what they live for.
“You know and we do it because we love that everybody who gets involved in this whether you’re sitting in this room or you’re out in that squad car that fire engine that ambulance you do this because you love it and that’s really what it’s about and it’s nice to have the recognition but it’s it it’s also what we do and what we all and we’re kind of it’s a calling,” said Stensland.
