The Ones Who Answer: Celebrating Public Safety Telecommunicators

They answer when you need them - they are the often unsung heroes who are the first to pick up the phone to get you the help you need, when you need it. Dispatchers do the critical work that provides lifesaving support to individuals in our community every day. Indiana Governor Mike Braun proclaimed April 12 – 18 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in an effort to recognize these hardworking individuals across the state of Indiana. The Pulaski County 911 Communications Center dispatches all police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) calls in the county 24 hours a day, seven days a week, collecting information from callers and disseminating it to the appropriate agencies. Speaking with three Pulaski County dispatchers on Tuesday afternoon, April 14, it's clear that they are a tight-knit group that collaborates and works together as a team. Laura McIntosh has been a dispatcher for 20 years. She recalls that the unpredictability of the job is both exciting and rewarding, because she loves helping people.