The people who sit in these chairs look out at a digital window into Ashe
County. The eight screens above them, the phone beside them and the radio in
front of them are the only tools they have. Tools they use to save the lives of
our neighbors, to send help to those in need, to comfort the scared and fix
what needs fixing.
The people who sit in these chairs are our Telecommunicators. They are, in
short, our HEROS.
It takes a special person to sit in these chairs. Not everyone can do it. It
is arguably the most stressful job in law enforcement and the folks that earn
the right to sit in these chairs have nerves of steel that are matched only by
their hearts of gold.
This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, a mere blip on the calendar
not nearly long enough to honor those that protect us 24hrs a day, 7 day per
week. Here in Ashe we choose to recognize the talent, sacrifice and dedication
of our Telecommunicators all year round, but the truth is, they’re not asking
for recognition. Quiet professionals sit in these chairs fueled not by praise
but by the lives they save and the people they help daily.
