BPD Chief asks community to remember the challenges of communications technicians in a small town

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is observed every second week in April. This week has been set aside to recognize and celebrate the work of telecommunicators helping to save millions of lives every day.

The job of communications technician involves multitasking. Communications technicians – often called dispatchers– must be proficient in crisis intervention, crisis management, and the ability to listen to detail under some of the most stressful situations imaginable.

During an appearance on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse to celebrate this week, Buffalo Police Chief Sean Bisset – who came to Buffalo from Baltimore, Md. – praised the communications technicians he and his team work with in Johnson County and said in a rural area, the job comes with some additional stressors. 

Chief S. Bisset

Chief Bisset also asked people to remember the mental toll the job can take on communications technicians who continue to be on the other end of the line when the community needs them most. 

Chief S. Bisset

Throughout the week of April 14 through April 20, The BPD and the Johnson County Community are honoring and thanking communications technicians who have continued to serve in such a demanding profession.