In 1991, Congress proclaimed the second week of April to be dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. Since then, and increasingly for the past several years, public safety agencies nationwide have recognized the pivotal role played by police and fire dispatchers who utilize telephones, radios, computers and many other communications media to provide support to law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services

Last year, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) 911 Communications Section handled a total of 314,442 incoming phone calls including 73,794 911 calls. ACSO’s 911 Communications Section has an authorized staff of thirty-two (32) personnel including: (1) Communications Manager, (1) Training Supervisor, (6) Shift Supervisors, (20) Communications Technician II (Dispatchers) and (4) Communications Technician I (Call Takers).

Communications employees provide an essential service to the community. Their role is to receive and process hundreds of thousands of calls, prioritize emergencies, coordinate resources and provide support to the responding field personnel. Communications employees work in a state of the art Communications Center. They are experts in utilizing many different computer systems and programs including intelligent phone workstations, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), digital trunked radio systems and many other systems that ensure the safety of the citizens and responding field personnel.

The Communications Section will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, April 11, 2015, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. The public is welcome to come to the Sheriff’s Office and learn about 911. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office will be honoring its public safety communications staff with activities throughout the week in appreciation for the excellent work that they do every day.