CLEARFIELD – Telecommunicators at Clearfield County 911 will be recognized along with more than 200,000 others nation-wide during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week on April 11-17.
“These are silent heroes of public safety,” said Jeremy Ruffner, 911 coordinator. “They are more than just a voice on the other end of the line; they often save lives on a daily basis.”
When challenged with life-and-death situations, he said they’re expected to respond with compassion, empathy and professionalism.
“They have to be at their best while dealing with people who may be at their worst,” Ruffner said. “People don’t usually call for help when they have their best day.”
He said they deal with people who have been a victim or who are in need of medical assistance. “They may be threatening and belligerent or – in some cases – not able to communicate at all.”
Telecommunicators in Clearfield County provide a critical service to residents by dispatching law enforcement, firefighters and emergency personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Currently, Clearfield County 911 employs 22 telecommunicators who in 2020 answered 110,043 calls for assistance, or over 300 calls per day.
The county’s 911 Center dispatches for 13 police departments, 14 emergency medical services agencies and 37 fire departments county-wide.
