Harford County Marks National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

From Harford County Government:

(Bel Air, MD) – – “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” is being observed in Harford County, April 14 – 20, 2013. This week is a time to recognize the dedication and commitment to service of the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators.

The week to recognize public safety telecommunicators was conceived by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County, California, Sheriff’s Office in 1981. The week was observed only by that agency for three years, before North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) became involved

In the mid-1990’s the national APCO organization lobbied Congress of the need for a formal proclamation and recognition of Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and the work of an estimated 500,000 professional telecommunicators throughout the United States.

Since passage of the House Joint Resolution in the mid-1990’s “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” is officially observed annually during the second week of April.

Commenting on this year’s observance of “Public Safety Telecommunicators Week”, County Executive David R. Craig said, “Harford County’s Department of Emergency Services is fortunate to have the most talented, dedicated and selfless public safety professionals in the State of Maryland. Our telecommunicators, often referred to as dispatchers, assist countless citizens and visitors to Harford County each year when someone calls 9 1 1 for an emergency. We are extremely grateful for their dedication and unwavering service”, Craig remarked.