CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County dispatchers are now also first responders.
The Kanawha County Commission last week passed a resolution naming telecommunicators as first responders, a move Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said has been discussed previously.
“A dispatcher, you don’t see them. You talk to them. They’ll save your life. Some folks think they have this cushy job where they sit around,” he said. “I can assure you they don’t have a cushy job.”
According to Carper, dispatchers in Kanawha County handle 500,000 calls a year.
“Very few people can do that job,” he added.
Carper noted the fire service’s annual theme of “not all heroes wear capes;” he said that applies to all people who handle emergency situations, including dispatchers.