Idaho State Police Regional Communications Centers Celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
Teresa Baker
Public Information Officer
Headquarters
700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642
(208) 884-7122
Fax (208) 884-7087

For Immediate Release: 4/14/15 at 4:15 p.m.

MERIDIAN - The Idaho State Police are celebrating the dedication of its Public Safety Communications Officers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 12th to the 18th, at its two Regional Communications Centers.

"This week is an opportunity to thank our colleagues in dispatch for their tireless efforts to ensure that our first responders get home to their families at the end of every shift," said ISP Director, Colonel Ralph Powell. "This is also a chance for the community to honor these dedicated professionals that serve on the very front lines of public safety. These men and women are the calm and compassionate voice on the telephone making split second decisions and saving countless lives by answering our citizensk calls for help and dispatching needed emergency personnel and resources."

The celebration also recognizes the technicians that maintain radio and emergency phone systems, communications staff trainers, communications center personnel, and other public safety telecommunications staff across the country who also work tirelessly behind the scenes to help the public during emergencies.

The Idaho State Police's two Regional Communications Centers provide service to all of Idaho and a lifeline to its officers working alone in the rural parts of the state with backup often an hour or more away. Together, the two centers handled 237,631 calls for service in 2014.

The Regional Communications Center North (RCCN) is located in Coeur d'Alene, currently employs 13 communications officers responsible for ISP's two northern districts which include 10 counties and 6,211 road miles.

The Regional Communications Center South (RCCS) is located in Meridian, currently employs 26 communications officers responsible for the four districts in the central and southern parts of the state. These districts include 34 counties south of Adams, Valley, Custer and Lemhi counties and the 20,956 road miles in those counties.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week started in 1981 by just one agency in California. The idea spread across the nation until Congress first gave it national recognition in 1991. Since then it has been celebrated the second full week in April every year.

Idaho's Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter issued a proclamation April 12th recognizing Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Idaho in honor of all city, county and state public safety communications professionals whose diligence and professionalism keeps our state and its citizens safe.

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