Wasilla Mayor Recognizes National Telecommunicators Week during city council meeting

WASILLA — Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford recently recognized National Telecommunicators Week through a mayoral proclamation during the regularly scheduled Wasilla City Council meeting Monday, April 11.

Telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are annually honored across the country during the second week of April. This week is a time to celebrate and thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public.

The tradition was established in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California, according to information from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International website.

“An estimated 240 million calls are made to 911 in the U.S. each year, and public safety dispatchers are the first and most critical contact with emergency services,” Ledford said. “When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics is critical to the life and preservation of property.”

Ledford said that the public safety dispatchers with Mat-Com Dispatch have substantially contributed to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires, and treatment of patients.

“The public safety system simply would not work without them,” Ledford said. “Each dispatcher has exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism in the performance of their job, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.

Ledford presented the proclamation to Wasilla Police Department Dispatch manager Jacob Butcher and thanked him for his service.

“It is my greatest appreciation for what you and your employees do,” Ledford said. “It’s not just the city but borough-wide, keeping us safe and putting us where we need to be.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com