Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 5, 2022 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-a <br /> SUBJECT: Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Kevin Medlin, 919-245-6139 <br /> Proclamation Kirby Saunders, 919-245-6123 <br /> PURPOSE: To proclaim the week of April 10 through 16, 2022 as Public Safety <br /> Telecommunicators Week in Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: Every year across the nation, the second full week of April is dedicated to the <br /> professional women and men who serve as public safety telecommunicators. First conceived by <br /> Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County (California) Sheriff's Office in 1981, this practice <br /> was recognized by Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) in what became House <br /> Joint Resolution 284 to create "National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week". With the <br /> continued efforts of the International Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and <br /> the National Emergency Number Association, the act to recognize public safety <br /> telecommunicators became a permanent proclamation in 1994. <br /> Each day hundreds of Orange County residents and those passing through rely on the expertise <br /> and dedication of public safety telecommunicators. These professionals help save countless lives <br /> by responding to emergency calls, dispatching law enforcement, fire and emergency medical <br /> personnel and equipment and providing support to the residents and visitors to the County. Their <br /> skills in high- pressure situations allow rapid emergency response, aid and compassion in times <br /> of great distress and critical decision-making within seconds. <br /> Orange County Communications is the primary answering point for all emergency and <br /> nonemergency service calls in the County. In 2021 NC PSAP's ( Public Safety Answering Points) <br /> answered 7.5 million 9-1-1 calls. Orange County 9-1-1 Telecommunicators answered 86,806 9- <br /> 1-1 calls and handled 116,903 administrative calls. The telecommunicators dispatched over <br /> 180,000 calls for service with an average of six telecommunicators on duty. The communications <br /> center operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week with a staff of twenty-six full time <br /> telecommunicators. <br />