National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week | KMZU

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week kicks off Monday, April 8th.? Click to hear KMZU?s Sarah Scott speak with Chief Training Operator Roger Martin:

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Press Release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol

Colonel Ronald K. Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, would like to make the public aware of the following:

April 8-14, 2012, marks National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This event honors the thousands of men and women who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and provide information and reassurance to citizens in times of need. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is proud to join in recognizing the dedication of our communications personnel, as well as the other public safety communications professionals throughout our state. We commend them on their tireless efforts to support emergency responders and to provide critical services to the citizens of our state.

In 1937, the Missouri Legislature approved plans to create various troop locations and radio stations around the state. It further approved the hire of sufficient radio personnel to operate these stations. Once the troops were operational, 15 radio personnel began providing communications. Today, the Patrol?s business lines, highway emergency lines, and radio systems are manned 24 hours a day/seven days a week by 140 communications operators and telecommunicators assigned throughout the Patrol?s nine troop headquarters. Last year the Patrol received 1,565,066 calls. From this total, 374,677 calls for service were generated.

These professionals are the first contact for citizens in and traveling through our state that need the routine or emergency services the Patrol provides. They operate the crucial radio communications network for troopers responding to highway emergencies. During natural disasters or other catastrophic events, they join 20 radio technicians and seven communications technical and operations managers to form a statewide communications backbone necessary for effective emergency management.

?I want to publicly thank all public safety communications personnel for their professionalism and providing assistance each time they are called upon,? said Colonel Replogle. ?I am especially proud of the communications personnel working for the Patrol, and I thank them for furthering the Patrol?s tradition of service and protection.?

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