The Erie County Department of Central Police Services is joining counterparts nationwide to participate in National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, an annual event held each April to recognize 9-1-1 call takers for their dedication and service during some of the most difficult moments in a person’s life. These dedicated employees play a key role in ensuring public safety across Erie County by responding to emergency requests and dispatching police, fire and EMS services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“Our 911 call takers are indispensable to the protection and safety of the public due to their work helping provide life-saving assistance as quickly as possible. Our community owes them a huge debt of gratitude for the critical work they do every single day,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “We proudly recognize their work and thank them for their service to Erie County.”
During 2024, the Erie County 911 Communication Center answered 767,079 calls and responded to 5,676 texts for emergency services. As the number of mobile telephones increases the number of emergency calls from people using cell phones continues to rise, with approximately 93 percent of the total calls taken being received by some type of wireless device. The complexities of addressing emergency calls continue to rise with changes in technology and types of calls for service, which include responses to mental health calls and the needs of persons with disabilities.
Commissioner of Central Police Services Brian Ross added, “The Erie County Central Police Services 9-1-1 Communications Center receives approximately 800,000 calls for service every year. Our 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers are the silent heroes of the public safety community. As the initial lifeline of people in distress, these amazing public safety workers obtain critical information during the most extraordinarily stressful moments. Detail matters in life and death situations, so the importance of our call takers and dispatchers cannot be overstated. Everyone who puts on a headset and sits at a terminal is just as much a hero as those who arrive at the location of an incident. They deserve this recognition.”
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week will be celebrated from April 13 – 19, 2025.
For more information:
On the Erie County Department of Central Police Services, visit https://www3.erie.gov/cps/
