Recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunications Week

Published on April 11, 2022

The safety of our community depends on the incredible work of our communications dispatchers. Every year during the second week of April, the City of Menlo Park celebrates its communications dispatchers who dedicate their lives to serving our community.

Many 9-1-1 calls are received after something serious was discovered, just occurred or is in-progress. Callers tend to be very emotional, stressed and their adrenaline is up!

Communications dispatchers are trained to remain calm, gather pertinent facts and multitask. They monitor radio communication and check officer status, ask lots of questions of callers, respond to Text-to-911, provide emergency medical instructions over the phone, deploy police, fire or medical personnel, coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions and stay on the phone with callers until help arrives. Once assistance is on scene, communications dispatchers are on to the next call.

In 2021, there were 56,132 calls into the communications center. Of these, 9,205 were 9-1-1 calls plus the center received another 31 Text-to-911 messages.

Assembly Bill 1945, passed in 2020, recognizes the work of communications dispatchers by reclassifying them as first responders, passed with bipartisan support out of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee.

Our communications dispatchers are true first responders, the one you hear and don’t see! Learn more about entry level or seasoned employment opportunities as a communications dispatcher at menlopark.org/jobs.