Donations Being Sought to Honor Local Dispatchers

If you're a South Tampa business owner who wants to pitch in and honor local 9-1-1 dispatchers, find out how below from LeAnn McCann, communications technician II at the Tampa Police Department:

City of Tampa Public Safety Telecommunicators are more than a calm and reassuring voice on the other end of the phone – they are knowledgeable and skilled individuals who work closely with firefighters, paramedics, and police personnel.  

These men and women who answer the calls from thousands of citizens who call for help each day work quickly under pressure to gather the essential information and then dispatch the appropriate response.  Because emergencies occur around the clock, the community can rely on the vigilance and the preparedness of these individuals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

April 14-20, 2013 is National Telecommunicator’s Week, the nationally recognized time to honor the men and women who serve their community as both 9-1-1 operators and Police/Fire/E.M.S. dispatchers.  It will begin with a proclamation from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn as he recognizes the men and women for their continuing service to aid their community during times of need and extreme high-stress situations.

Each year, we strive to make the week fun for each and every communications technician by having food, drawings for prizes, and more.  We have held several “in house” fund-raisers to help off set the costs of food and prizes; however, it's not enough for the 140 employees that work all shifts all throughout the year.

We are reaching out to our community and local businesses to help in our effort to make this a great and memorable week.  In the past, our community partners have stepped forward and helped make this week that much more special for us. 

Any donations, whether they are food, door prizes, letters of appreciation, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

We would like to give you an invitation to come in and take a tour of our facility and observe the dedication of the communication technicians who serve this community. 

Facts for the year 2012:

• Total number of 911 calls received from cell phones: 281,519

• Total number of 911 calls received from land lines: 102,326

• Total number of dispatched events: 226,074

For more information, call 813-931-6541.