Ever wondered what it’s like to work in a 9-1-1dispatch center? Soon you will be able to see the equipment and hear for yourself what the job of an emergency dispatcher involves. In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Roanoke County is having an open house at the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) on Saturday, April 17 from noon to 3 p.m.
The Emergency Communications Center, Roanoke County’s 9-1-1 center, is a first responder that works with emergency medical service, fire, and law enforcement to save lives, protect property, and combat crime by providing cross-agency communication and public education.
Roanoke County’s ECC answers about 230,000 calls a year and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. It is one of only 63 public safety communications centers nationwide with this distinction. All ECC personnel are certified in CPR and have their Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification by the time they finish their extensive initial training program. EMD enables a Communications Officer to assist citizens over the phone with medical instructions until a first responder arrives on scene. This certification invariably saves lives.
The second week of April each year is dedicated nationally to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. This recognition was formally established by the U.S. Congress in H.J. Res. 284 in October 1991. The first Presidential Proclamation was by George H.W. Bush on March 18, 1992. This year, public safety telecommunicators will be recognized nationally the week of April 11-17.
The ECC is located in the Public Safety Center at 5925 Cove Road in Roanoke. For more information, call 562-3265.
