During severe weather events, there are often more calls for help from first responders. However, the dispatchers who answer those calls can go unrecognized for their vital role in saving lives.
All week long, law enforcement agencies have been celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week by honoring the unsung heroes who answer the call before first responders rush to the rescue.
"We just answer phone calls from the citizens and get them help as quick as we can," said Amy Turner.
She describes her job as a dispatcher modestly, as she is often answering calls during the worst moment in someone's life.
"Anything from somebody wanting directions to, you know, a mother that's losing her child," she said.
It's an emotional job that Turner has proudly done for the past 12 years. After all, she said, "if we don't take the calls, then who's going to?"
Even though she is the first voice you will hear when calling for help, her work often goes unnoticed.
"They call us the 'unsung heroes,'" she said. "We're not recognized. We stay in the building, and we answer phone calls. We dispatch on the radio. We're the voice, but nobody ever sees or talks to us."
The hardest part of her job, Turner said, is "leaving it here. I want to take it home."
Luckily, Turner has people to lean on when the job gets overwhelming.
"The bond with the coworkers, it’s how we pull together as a team. That's my favorite part," she said.
Turner said it is great to have a week set aside to give telecommunicators the proper recognition that they deserve.
Huntsville Police Department is currently facing a shortage of dispatchers. Their formal recruitment process just wrapped up, but they still encourage interested candidates to reach out and learn more about the job.
