By Gina Walls
CHP-PSDA Board Representative
Golden Gate Communications Center
VALLEJO - On Sunday, April 9, 2017, CHP-Public Safety Dispatchers Association (CHP-PSDA) bought lunch for all of the public safety dispatchers and operators at the CHP Golden Gate Communication Center. April 9th kicked off National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, a week in which public safety dispatchers and operators are honored for all of their hard work throughout the year.
These first responders answer cellular 911 calls, perform radio dispatching for the California Highway Patrol, as well as assisting our allied agencies and the motoring public. They handle a wide variety of calls and incidents every day. They never know what the next call will bring - from freeway shootings, to suicidal subjects threatening to jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, to answering 911 calls for the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland. They work very hard and 12 hours a day. Which makes it difficult to juggle a personal life, family, and work. But these heroes always do it. They are the calming voice on the other end of a 911 call and the confident voice on the radio to our officers. The jobs of a public safety dispatcher and operator is extremely important and should not go unnoticed. Providing lunch to our members was just a small token of appreciation for all the hard work they do throughout the year.
Thank you to all of our hard-working public safety dispatchers and public safety operators.
They are truly the best. Thanks for spotlighting us during this very special week.