CHAMPAIGN COUNTY (WAND)- METCAD 9-1-1 is celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 10th through the 16th.
The annual celebration recognizes and honors thousands of men and women worldwide for responding to emergency calls, dispatching emergency professionals and equipment, and rendering life-saving assistance to those in need.
Officials say just in 2021 alone the METCAD 9-1-1 Dispatch Center answered more than 281,000 telephone calls and dispatched emergency services for more than 122,000 incidents.
METCAD 9-1-1 handles emergency dispatching for the cities of Champaign, Urbana, and Rantoul, all of Champaign County (including all rural areas), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was established in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s office in California. Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators.
“I am excited to bring recognition to the unseen heroes who play such a vital role in the delivery of emergency services,” said METCAD Director Ralph Caldwell. “They are skilled, highly-trained professionals who work tirelessly to be there for our citizens and provide public safety support 24 hours a day.”
The METCAD 9-1-1 Dispatch Center manages and coordinates support for police responses, structure fires, vehicle accidents, hazmat incidents, and medical emergencies. Whether on the phone with community members or on the radio with firefighters, police officers, or EMTs, dispatchers remain calm during every storm.
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