Public Safety Telecommunications Week shines light on dispatchers

Staff Reports Posted 13 April 2016 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Sheriff Randy Bower (right), a former Orleans County public safety dispatcher, is pictured with dispatchers Bill Oliver, left, and Mike Draper, in back.

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which shines a light on the important work of dispatchers.

“In a time of crisis, public safety dispatchers are the calming voice on the other end of the phone line, the one with answers or advice,” said Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower. “They’re the life blood of public safety, the true first responders. This is where it all starts.”

About 100,000 calls were made to dispatch in Orleans County last year, including informational calls that didn’t require police, fire service or other action.

Dispatchers assigned the following calls to local first responders:

Police calls, 23,792 total –  Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, 9,258; Albion PD, 5,146; Medina PD, 4,328; Holley PD, 3,057; New York State Police, 1,922; Lyndonville PD, 81. The Sheriff’s Department calls include 1,061 traffic stops, 888 papers served and 7,309 other police calls.

Dispatch also handled 5,930 ambulance calls, including 2,467 to Medina Fire Department, 2,082 to COVA, 681 to Monroe Ambulance, 318 to Holley Ambulance, 224 to Clarendon Ambulance and 158 to Kendall Ambulance.

Total animal control calls were 1,337 with 1,022 to Orleans County animal control and 315 for Albion animal control.

Total fire calls were 2,566 and include: Albion, 398; Barre, 201; Carlton, 262; Clarendon, 94; East Shelby, 54; Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, 192; Holley, 361; Kendall, 75; Lyndonville, 211; Medina, 249; Morton (in Orleans County), 41; Ridgeway, 261; and Shelby, 167.