Recognizing Dispatchers

Recognizing Dispatchers

National public safety telecommunicators week... honoring those who don't always receive recognition... dispatchers.

Abc 36's chelsea smith travels to fleming county to meet the people behind the phone.

Phone rings "9-1-1 where is your emergency?"

Dispatchers... the unsung heroes... the first person you call during an emergency to get you help "it's not just things like shootings... sometimes people are just sick and they're scared or you don't know what their situation is."

Jenny roark... a fleming county 9-1-1 dispatcher for close to 15 years... says she can't imagine doing anything else until she retires jenny "it's nice to know that you can be someone's life line.

That you can be there to help them whatever the troubles might be."

Fleming county 9-1-1 director charlotte benton... says it's more than just answering the phone benton "i don't think realize what a dispatcher go through, how much is put on them when someone calls needing help and the only peron they've got is that dispatcher on the line."

While the job is rewarding... benton says it can be a load on her dispatchers benton "we had a shooting in the county.

It's been several years ago.

Actually, the caller's wife was killed while we were on the phone with him.

It's kind of your post-stress trauma and that has stuck with me all these years."

And having a strong passion for helping people is why her dispatchers show up to work roark "it's an amazing experience to be able to help people.

To be there in that trying time for them.

And no, they usually don't usually remember talking to you most of the time and that's fine with me in fleming county... chelsea smith abc 36 news a group of lexington students is speaking