The National Emergency Number Association says an estimated 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 annually across the United States.
The association says public safety dispatchers play a vital role in the state’s emergency response chain, and are responsible for being first to respond during life-threatening accidents, wildfires, house fires, active shooter situations and potential suicides.
In other words, much of the time a dispatcher is your link to getting an officer, deputy, firefighter, paramedic, EMT or other first responder at the door of your home or business, or at any other emergency scene.
Beginning in 2020, public safety dispatchers in California were considered first responders after Assembly Bill 1945 was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Assemblyman Rudy Salas introduced the legislation after the idea was brought to him by a Kings County dispatcher.
“This is a historic day for the thousands of emergency dispatchers who call California home,” Salas said in a 2020 news release. “For years, dispatchers have been misclassified under titles that do not reflect the importance of the life-saving work they perform every day.”
It’s a highly trained person who answers your call, often providing life-saving directions on the phone before others can arrive in person.
The National Emergency Number Association reminds the public that 9-1-1 is only to be used in emergency situations. Stay calm, state your emergency, speak loudly and clearly, give your name and the address where help is needed and answer the dispatcher’s questions. Don’t hang up until the dispatcher tells you to do so.
