The City of Yakima is celebrating the second full week of April (April 11-17) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It honors the men and women who are the critical first step in the public safety system. They are the ones who answer 9-1-1 emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the first responders and the community.
SunComm is the 9-1-1 and dispatch center serving the City and County of Yakima. SunComm staff handled more than 27,000 9-1-1 calls in the first three months of 2021 alone.
During its meeting on Tuesday, April 6th, the Yakima City Council issued a proclamation recognizing National Telecommunicators Week. The proclamation, signed by Mayor Patricia Byers, reads in part:
“WHEREAS, emergency call-takers and dispatchers of SunComm have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires, and treatment of patients; and WHEREAS, each emergency call-taker and dispatcher has exhibited compassion, understanding, professionalism, and displayed untiring efforts during their assigned shifts in the past year; NOW THEREFORE, I, Patricia Byers, Mayor of the City of Yakima and on behalf of the Yakima City Council, do hereby proclaim the week of April 11-17, 2021 as “NATIONAL TELE COMMUNICATORS WEEK” in the City of Yakima, in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our City and citizens safe.
Click Suncomm – 911 Communications (yakima911.org) for more about SunComm.
National Telecommunicators Week is sponsored annually by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International. Click www.npstw.org for more about the week-long observance.