Last Updated on October 2, 2022 5:53 pm
It's National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week across the country.
These professionals are not only the first contact that 911 callers deal with but they also deal with multiple situations within a split second of each call.
All Boone Telecommunicators are state and nationally certified to give vital pre-arrival medical instruction to those in need of medical assistance prior to EMS arrival, according to Boone Police.
The enhanced 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System allows the public to obtain law enforcement, fire, rescue and emergency medical response. This system receives and dispatches approximately 25,000 calls a year, ranging from emergencies to routine calls for public safety assistance.
All 9-1-1 calls originating in the Town of Boone are received in the Town's Emergency Telecommunications Center . This center is located at the Boone Police Headquarters at 1500 Blowing Rock Road in Boone. Trained telecommunications personnel provide 24-hour/day staffing to ensure appropriate and rapid response from fire, police and/or EMS .
When a telecommunicator answers a 9-1-1 call, a screen instantly shows the telephone number from where the call is placed. Within 2 seconds, the screen is updated to include the location and address information of where the caller is located. This helps the telecommunicator locate the caller even if the phone is hung up or disconnected.
To ensure an adequate response to non-english speaking community, the center contracts with AT&T Language Line Services. Through this service, they have access to interpreters available for over 140 languages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with an average connection time to obtain an interpreter of 25 seconds.
Language Line is the industry leader in providing world class service. One example of this is their active participation and certification with the National Foreign Language Center setting national standards in interpretation services. The results are interpreters who clearly, accurately and quickly handle these types of calls.
Communications Staff:
Wanda Smith, Director of Communications / Records Unit
Brenda Brittain, Senior Telecommunicator
Bridget Kleine, Senior Telecommunicator
Heather Benfield, Telecommunicator
Kayla Trivette, Telecommunicator
Terry Butler, Telecommunicator
Bailey Post, Telecommunicator
April Farthing, Telecommunicator
Photo : Boone Police Department.
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