Bonham -- They perform a critical task in a confined area in front of a communications console, far from the public eye. But one Bonham businesswoman wanted to make sure local 9-1-1 dispatchers know they are appreciated during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Sondra Compton, owner of Bonham Mercantile and the newly opened Just S Sandwich Shop, invited area dispatchers to a special lunch, complete with a surprise. Knowing the dispatchers are fond of quoting from Alice in Wonderland, Compton even arranged for the White Rabbit to join the group.
9-1-1 dispatchers have earned a well-deserved reputation as the calming voice on the other end of the line during an emergency call
National Telecommunicators Week celebrates these men and women who quietly go about their vital role as first responders.
This is also a fitting time to consider the intense workload that local 9-1-1 dispatchers handle with professional aplomb.
Bonham Police Department received 10,350 9-1-1 calls in 2015.
Dispatch answered the regular phone 109,932 times in 2015.
There were 17,129 calls for service for police and animal control in 2015 -- all going through dispatch.
