NEWS RELEASE

St. Louis County Celebrates ‘9-1-1 Week’ Today

The St. Louis County Board will commemorate 9-1-1 Week today, April 13, 2004 with a proclamation. April 11-17, 2004 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, to honor those persons who perform call-taking, dispatching, and other duties for public safety communications departments.

9-1-1 Telecommunicators, Dispatchers, call-takers and support staff are being honored this week for their dedication and courage in performing one of the most important jobs in society.

9-1-1 Telecommunicators are the link between the citizens who phone for help and the agencies that provide help. They often work long hours under extremely stressful conditions. Telecommunicators are our nation’s unsung heroes who are responsible for getting emergency assistance where it is needed, while often not receiving their much-deserved credit.

St. Louis County’s 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Department’s fifty-two women and men serve our area’s more than two hundred thousand residents and visitors. Public Safety Answering Centers in Duluth and Virginia cover St. Louis County’s 7092 square miles, providing the link between 180+ public safety agencies and the people who need them. Last year, the St. Louis County Emergency Communications Department answered more than 250,000 calls for help, while also monitoring numerous public safety radio networks.

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