CHP on National Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently issued a press release to get the word out about National Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week. This year, the week, which commemorates public safety telecommunicators nationwide, will be running from April 10th through the 16th. During this week, officials with the CHP will be celebrating their dispatchers and recognizing the very important work that they’re doing.  

The CHP considers their public safety dispatchers the “unseen first responder professionals.” They’re the link between the general public and emergency personnel in times of extreme duress and crisis. When somebody calls 9-1-1, they’re in an emergency situation, or they are witnessing an emergency situation. A dispatcher has to remain cool and get all the necessary information from the caller to get them the appropriate emergency services as quickly as possible, because every second counts.   

California CHP Dispatcher Stats  

  • There are more than 700 public safety dispatchers employed by the CHP statewide.  
  • There are 24 communication centers throughout California.
  • In 2021, CHP dispatchers handled over 7.5 million calls for service.
  • Of those calls, 5.3 million were made to 9-1-1.
  • CHP dispatchers handled more than 5,000 text-to-911 contacts last year too.  

Prepare For an Emergency Situation   

The CHP has a variety of tips for people to help prepare themselves in the event of an emergency situation. If you find yourself calling 9-1-1, keep a few things in mind. Try to remain calm if you can. Use a landline if that’s possible too. Also, be prepared to give your name, phone number, address or location and a detailed description of the incident or vehicle being reported. Listen carefully to the directions of the dispatcher and answer their questions as clearly as possible.  

It can be really hard to remain calm in the event of an emergency, but the best thing you can do is try to stay as cool and collected as possible. The more clearly you can get your information to the dispatcher, the more swiftly they can send the right first responder to your location.  

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a dangerous or distracted driver in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.