National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week serves as a moment to recognize first responders for commitment, service, and sacrifice to the community.
The role of the dispatcher plays an essential part to assisting those in need.
33,944 calls. It’s the number of calls dispatchers with the Long Beach Police Department answered in 2023.
Since January 2024, they’ve answered close to 10,000 calls, averaging about 100 calls per day. During Telecommunications Week, Nathan Clay remembers why he joined the Long Beach Dispatch 15 years ago in 2009.
“We do things to help people in every way and in any way we can. It means a lot to the person,” Clay said.
In the event of an emergency, Captain Patrick Craig with the Long Beach Police Department said dispatchers are in the first line of defense.