Today marks the beginning of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week which will be celebrated from April 11-17th. This special week honors telecommunications (911 dispatchers) across the country who are key members of all public safety teams.
We are thankful for the members of our Amherst Public Safety Communications Center which has been in operation since 1990. With 12 fulltime, and 1 part-time employee, the dispatch center is staffed by a minimum of 2 dispatchers at all times. Our communications center dispatches for police, fire, and emergency medical calls for the residents of Amherst. Along with these responsibilities, our communication center also dispatches for ambulance services to the three colleges in town, and to the towns of Leverett, Shutesbury, and Pelham.
On top of their public safety responsibilities listed above, the Amherst Public Safety Communication Center is also one of just two Regional Hazmat Team Dispatch Centers in the entire state. Here at the Amherst Police Department, we wanted to take a moment to recognize the people who make up our dispatch team at the Amherst Public Safety Communication Center and thank them for what they do. We are very proud to call these men and women part of our public safety team here in the Town of Amherst.