Dept. of Transportation: State Patrol to honor police communications operators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 8-14

Major Brian Rahn, Wisconsin State Patrol
(608) 266-0184

brian.rahn@dot.wi.gov

or

Lieutenant Paul Wolfe, Wisconsin State Patrol

(608) 266-1059

paul.wolfe@dot.wi.gov

State Patrol to honor police communications operators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 8-14

The Wisconsin State Patrol will honor its police communications operators, who dispatch officers to where they are needed and coordinate actions with other first responders in emergency situations, during the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 8-14.

Congress has designated the second week in April as a time to recognize men and women who are responsible for answering calls “for police, fire and emergency medical assistance and dispatching such assistance to help save the lives and property of our citizens.”

The State Patrol has 58 police communications operator and supervisor positions stationed at regional communications centers in DeForest, Tomah, Waukesha, Fond du Lac, Wausau, Eau Claire and Spooner.

State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald says, “Our police communications operators are highly trained professionals, who use sophisticated communications technology to exchange information with our officers on patrol. This information exchange is vital for effective enforcement actions and responses to complex emergencies. In life or death situations, like traffic crashes, police communications operators use their knowledge and experience to make quick decisions under stressful conditions. They also must handle numerous inquiries from the public and the news media. Although our police communications operators work behind the scenes, their efforts have helped save lives and prevent injuries throughout our state. Their dedication and expertise have contributed greatly to Wisconsin experiencing fewer than 600 traffic deaths for four years in a row for the first time since the 1920s.”