Winnipeg, MB - Today, the City of Winnipeg recognized National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week with a smudging ceremony led by the Bear Clan Patrol in the courtyard at City Hall.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week runs from April 10-16, 2016. This year’s theme is “911 Communications - The Heart of Public Safety”, and recognizes Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) and RCMP “D” Division telecommunications personnel for their important service to our community.
“Thank you to all our telecommunicators,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “You are an essential link between the public and the help they may need, and you are the first point of contact for all of us in times emergency or personal crisis. We are glad you are always there with a listening ear, emotional support, and emergency assistance.”
Over the course of 2015, WPS and WFPS telecommunications personnel quickly and efficiently answered over 700,000 phone calls. In times of personal crisis and community disasters, telecommunications personnel are the first point for contact for the public when they need emergency assistance from firefighters, police, and paramedics.
“Whether they are providing callers with safety instructions while gathering information that is vital to emergency responders, or providing reassurances to callers by coaching them through life saving interventions, telecommunicators are the lifeline between the community and the public safety service they require,” said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief John Lane.