Dispatch centers across the country have been celebrating the hard work of our real first responders this week, during National Telecommunicator’s Week.

Lori Riley is the Communications Supervisors in Perry, she says this annual observance first started back in the early 1990s.

“It’s a way to say thank you to the men and women who are the voice on the line when you call 911.  They’ve come to realize that’s the first responder, the first person on the scene, but they are unseen so it’s just a way to say thank you to those men and women for their dedication and service” says Riley

Police Chief Eric Vaughn says the local dispatchers do far more than just answer the phones.

“Here in Perry, of dispatchers do so much more than that.  They do a big part of our record keeping here in the police department.  Of course they do answer the phones, so any calls that come into our police department and fire department.  They answer 911 calls, dispatch all our officers, fire, ambulance and the police department.  They also serve as jail matrons.  So if we have someone here in our jail they help look after them to make sure that they are safe and just kind of keep an eye on them when the officers are out and about” says Chief Vaughn.

Riley says Perry is fortunate to have a lot of experience in its dispatch center, thanks to Patricia Anderson, Mary Vander Naald, Veronica Labar, Ana Jimenez and Joey Crane.