CLEARFIELD – Telecommunicators at Clearfield County 911 will be
recognized along with more than 200,000 others nation-wide April 10-16 during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
“These silent heroes are more than just a voice on the other line,” expresses Jeremy Ruffner, 911 coordinator. “They often save lives on a daily basis, and are challenged with life-and-death situations.
“They’re expected to handle these stressful situations with compassion, empathy and professionalism, and must be at their best while dealing with people who may be at their worst.
“People don’t usually call for help when they’re having their best day … they deal with people who have been victimized or need medical assistance.
“They may be threatening and belligerent, or in some cases, not able to communicate at all, other than to dial 911 with their last bit of strength in an attempt to get help.”
Telecommunicators in Clearfield County dispatch law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services and other responders 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Clearfield County 911 currently employs 14 full-time telecommunicators, and in 2021, they answered 116,933 calls for assistance.
“That’s over 320 calls per day,” Ruffner states. The Clearfield County 911 Center provides dispatch services for 13 police, 14 EMS and 37 fire agencies county-wide.
