Safety and security are a major priority for Southlake residents, and telecommunicators play a crucial role in emergency situations. Their expertise and quick thinking can mean the difference between life and death. We thank them for their hard work and dedication during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Every day, we wake up with a sense of routine, knowing exactly what the day will entail. We go to work or tend to our daily tasks without giving much thought to what might happen if something goes wrong. We take for granted our ability to get through the day without any major hiccups or emergencies. But at some point in our lives, we will need help – and when that happens, regardless of the situation, there is only one number we immediately think of, 9-1-1. The emergency operators on the other end of the phone are the unsung heroes who keep us calm and let us know that help is on the way.
The telecommunicators who are a part of the Northeast Tarrant Communications Center (NETCOM) are the bridge that brings our citizens and the Departments of Public Safety together. The center dispatches police, fire and animal control calls for service for four cities: Keller, Westlake, Colleyville, and Southlake, serving about 115,000 residents.
“Telecommunicators are the link between an unknown crisis or someone’s worst day ever and supplying resources to bring the situation back to balance quickly and efficiently,” stated NETCOM 9-1-1 Manager Warren Dudley. “Many callers don’t know where they are exactly or which city they are in, but they have an emergency, and they want help fast.”
Telecommunicators dispatch over 99% of 9-1-1 calls in less than 10 seconds; emergency units are dispatched in less than one minute. Within the last year, NETCOM dispatched 116,029 calls, with 7,945 calls routed to the Southlake Police Department and 3,910 calls routed to the Southlake Fire Department and EMS.
“Our telecommunicators work very hard to provide accurate, fast, and efficient service to our citizens and public safety units to provide the best outcome possible for any situation,” he said.
In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (NPSTW), Southlake DPS presented all NETCOM telecommunicators with a small token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
“As police officers, we view our telecommunicators as a lifeline on the other end of the radio. If things go south, they are the ones we count on to quickly send help our way. We are so grateful to work alongside such an amazing group of people,” Southlake Assistant Police Chief Ashleigh Casey said.
Thank you to all the telecommunicators who help keep Southlake safe.
