Emergency call takers and dispatchers handle
calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often
the unsung heroes of public safety.
In an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was
created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 8-14th marks
National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Your telecommunicator, which is your 911
call takers and dispatchers, are actually the first responders to an emergency
and you rarely hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major
organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO)
and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to
recognize them.
At CRESA, we try and say thank you from the Management and,
of course, get some publicity for them because they are our community's unsung heroes. The
only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not
when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right
scene despite all the red tape and difficulties that emergency operations
always seem to run into. It’s high stress and you could say a thankless job.
This job requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones.
It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls CRESA when it's a good day.
We have
extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and end up with three or four applicants that are suitable. Telecommunicators go
through 18-20 months of training before they're capable of being released to take calls and dispatch police, fire and EMS.
Employees are trained as call
takers first and then move on to dispatching police, fire and medical
responders. Telecommunicators
at CRESA’s 9-1-1 Center handle an average of over 31,000 telephone calls per
month.
They handle calls from people
during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes
of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an
effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the
early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety
Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in
Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week,
on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call
takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month. They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month. They handle calls from people during some of the worst moments of their lives and are often the unsung heroes of public safety. They are emergency call takers and dispatchers. And in an effort to recognize their efforts, a special week was created for them in the early 1990’s. This year April 10 through April 16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. The 911 Call Center, located at 911 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, is inviting the public to an Open House during this special week, on April 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so that the public may see what the call takers do and thank them for their hard work.
"Your telecommunicator, which is your 911 call taker, your desk personnel at the police or sheriff's office, are actually the first responders to an emergency and you never hear about these people. So Congress, at the request of two major organizations, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), decided it was time to recognize these people. What we do around here is we try and say thank you from the staff and, of course, get some publicity for them because they're the unsung heroes. The only time you ever really hear about them is when somebody makes a mistake not when they save a life, deliver a baby and get the right equipment to the right scene despite all the red tape and all the difficulties that emergency operations always seem to run into. It's high stress and, you could say thankless, job. You work just as hard as that patrolman or fireman or deputy sheriff. You work the same hours and same holidays away from your family, generally for a lower level of pay. Hard-working, dedicated people are what it takes to do the job," said Robert V. Martin, Executive Director of the 911 Call Center in Lake Charles.
According to Martin, you have to have a special type of personality to deal with the public in their worst moments.
"This is the type of job that requires a unique individual. It's not just answering phones. It's dealing with people in the worst moments of their lives. Nobody calls up here when it's a good day. They only call when everything is falling apart around them,” said Martin.
“We have extensive pre-employment testing. We may test 150 people at a time and we'll end up with three or four applicants that are suitable out of that. We go through right at a year of training before we feel that they're capable of handling public requests. So it's a detailed process that runs almost $110,000 per person the first year in training expenses,” he added. “We train them as emergency medical dispatchers. The ones that make it more than three years here prove themselves capable of handling emotions and demands of people during crisis."
Call takers at the local 911 Call Center handle an average of 15,000 calls per month.
This week, at CRESA, we're planning a number of fun things! On Tuesday, at 9:45 a.m., the Board of County Commissioners will be reading a proclamation to honor this week. These meetings are open to the public if you'd like to show your support in person to our agency.
But even more important than the official recognition is the fact that each of us have a special opportunity to just say "thanks" to our local telecommunicators. You can do so super easily here in Clark County, by choosing the following ways to share your thanks by:
- Commenting here on our blog,
- If you receive the blog via email, just reply back to the email,
- Drop a comment on our Facebook Page,
- Tweet to us by including @CRESA in your 140 characters,
- Email us at cresa@clark.wa.gov, or
- Send a card to 710 W 13th ST, Vancouver, WA 98660.
We're proud of all of our employees here at CRESA and hope that you are, too!
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