SHERIDAN, WY— The men and women of Sheridan’s local dispatch were recognized at the Sheridan City Council meeting on Monday when Mayor Roger Miller, along with the rest of City Council and Police Chief Richard Adriaens, proclaimed the week of April 14th through April 20th to be Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, to recognize the “first first-responder” that is often overlooked.
Adriens explained that dispatch has to work with a variety of different public-safety resources in order to coordinate an emergency response:
Press Release from the Sheridan Police Department:
National Telecommunicators Week brings celebration, honor, and publicity focused on the otherwise unsung hero on the other end of the line. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the important role of the 911 dispatcher as the first, first responder.
Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as Public Safety Telecommunicators. National Telecommunicators Week was first adopted by congress in 1991. The Sheridan Police Department is proud to recognize the men and women of our communications team.
Our communications officers are Kim Madden, Cynthia Shepherd-Godwin, Dominic Cote, Darin Fitzpatrick, Kellen Phillips, Dan Johnson, Becca Hartman, Phillip Willet, John Gowen and Molly Diderrich. Sarah Benavidez and Kat Hersman of the Administrative Bureau are also fully trained Communications Officers and fill in when called upon.
Sheridan Police Department patrol officers are trained as call takers. Call takers are able to assist communications officers in times of high call volume and personnel shortages.
The Communications Officers:
- Answer all 911 calls.
- Answer all calls to the Sheridan Police Department and all after hour calls to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.
- Dispatch for the Sheridan Police Department, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office,
- Rocky Mountain Ambulance, The Sheridan Fire Department as well as the 7 Sheridan County
rural fire districts. - Dispatch City services in times of emergency.
- Are trained in crisis intervention.
- Are fully trained in emergency medical dispatch protocol.
