Location: Sheriff’s Communications Center, 800 South Victoria Ave. Ventura, CA.
Date & Time: April 12 – 19, 2009
Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Communications Center

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is April 12 – 18, 2009, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is honoring the public safety dispatchers who serve as the lifeline for people who need law enforcement assistance. These public safety dispatchers have dedicated their careers to public service and in many cases they have made the difference between life and death.

Each year, the dispatchers and supervisors at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department handle almost 400,000 telephone calls, including more than 69,000 9-1-1 calls in 2008. Last year, these calls resulted in more than 106,000 law enforcement responses. Regardless of the workload, the dispatchers handle each call individually to ensure that the people of Ventura County receive the assistance that they need.

Public safety dispatchers must undergo a rigorous testing and background process before being hired. After they have been hired, new dispatchers must attend the three-week Basic Dispatcher Course that is certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Typically, the training process also includes four additional weeks of classroom training and 6 – 12 months of on-the-job training before the new dispatcher is allowed to work independently.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department will also be honoring Mark Stinson during the Dispatcher Awards Banquet on May 2, 2009. Mark was selected by his peers and supervisors as the 2009 Dispatcher of the Year.