State Police Recognizes National Public Safety Telecommunications Week

The Delaware State Police would like to take the opportunity to formally acknowledge the unsung heroes among us- our telecommunications professionals. The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) honors the nation's communications professionals each year during the second full week in April. This celebration is known as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week and is being celebrated April 12-18, 2009).

This week is set aside to recognize telecommunicates, radio and IT technicians, communications trainers and administrators for their dedication to duty, responsiveness in emergency situations, training our next generation of telecommunicates and for maintaining America's voice and data communications systems.

As many of our citizens here in Delaware may not know, the Delaware State Police Communication Section is comprised primarily of four distinct units- RECOM (the State Police dispatch center in New Castle County), KENTCOM (the State Police dispatch center in Kent County), SUSCOM (State Police dispatch center in Sussex County) and HQ Communications (stationed in Dover and who provides assistance on a statewide level).

The professional men and women who are assigned at the aforementioned dispatch centers work diligently to support the uniformed division of DSP, and yes, they too work around the clock. They gather and provide critical information to responding officers such as- ‘Is a suspect armed?’, ‘How many perpetrators are there?’, ‘Is there any mental patient history Troopers should be aware of?’ This information is crucial; this information helps to keep officers safe.

Our dispatchers speak with victims and reporting persons often before the officers do. They console distraught and disturbed individuals. Occasionally, they may speak with a suspect, and keep them at bay until Troopers arrive. When children call for help, these men and women offer comforting reassurance that things will be OK and that help is coming.

Their jobs are not just about dispatching though. Our communication employees conduct research and work cooperatively with other agencies on both a local and national level. These specialists enter and retrieve sensitive data. They seek ongoing additional training and work diligently to enhance their own skills and keep abreast of the latest techniques and ideas developing in their industry.

Colonel Thomas F. Mac Leish says, “Of course I am biased, but I have to say that I honestly believe our communications professionals here at DSP are the best in the country. They love what they do and it shows in the quality of their work. Our dispatchers are often the first line of defense in any given situation. Over the years, they have undoubtedly saved the lives our Troopers countless times through their diligence to duty in relaying critical information. I am truly thankful for their service.”