National Public Safety Telecommunicators Appreciation Week

The second week of April every year, the Lane County Sheriff's Office takes time to recognize and thank those who answer approximately 91,000 calls every year in our county, documenting about 74,000 incidents.

Dispatchers take calls and send deputies or medics to help. They will stay on the phone with you during the worst moment of your life while you wait for help to arrive. They are the ones who send that help, they are the ones who watch over the deputies, medics, and firefighters sent to help you. They are the first first responders you will probably never meet.

The Sheriff's Office has around a dozen full-time dispatchers serving the citizens of Lane County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At any given time, there are 2 to 4 dispatchers working. They dispatch for not only the Lane County Sheriff's Office, but also Coburg Police Department, Oakridge Police Department, Oakridge Fire Department, Lane Community College Security (after hours), Junction City Police Department (nights), Lane County Parole and Probation, and the investigative team for the District Attorney's Office. During major incidents, officers from other agencies will often switch to our radio channels as well.

In the course of a day, a dispatcher answering phones may go from answering questions about how to get a restraining order, to giving CPR instructions, to taking a call about a house that was broken into, to deescalating a violent dispute until deputies arrive.

When the phone rings they never know what's going to be on the other side. They answer the phone armed with their extensive training and years of experience, prepared to answer a simple question or to help save a life.

Thank you to all our dispatchers who have devoted their careers to helping others!