Who is an emergency services dispatcher? They are the calm voice to the frantic person on the other end of the 911 call. They are the person who is able to quickly determine the type of emergency, the location of the emergency and the type of response that is needed quickly and calmly. They are the unseen partner of the emergency responder providing them with needed information and support, often while sitting alone in a small room in front of a bank of computer screens.
CU Boulder Police has their own dispatch center on campus that answered more than 25,000 phone calls last year. They are a vital link between our community and our public safety services. They answer 911 calls as well as calls for campus parking complaints, open door requests, thefts, vandalism, threats, assaults, trespasses, suspicious persons, vehicles or objects, and requests for information. The dispatchers in the CU Boulder Police communications center are responsible for logging all calls for service for police, fire and medical in the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system and then broadcasting that information to the officers on the streets.
For all of the work that you do as our first, first responders, for the work you do supporting everyone on the radios, and for what you do as that calming voice to our entire community with very little recognition, we are eternally grateful.