April 24-30 was observed as Public Safety Telecommunicators week by the team at the 911 Emergency Communications Centre.
During the week, the staff celebrated by wearing a different color that represented each island of the Turks and Caicos Islands, this signifies their responsibility of answering emergency calls from all the islands.
“The 911 operator is the critical link between the citizens and the different emergency services; they are responsible for screening the calls and transmitting that information to the necessary personnel.” Said 911 Supervisor Ms. Nerissa Fortune, “Because each incoming call is unique and can vary from requests for general information to reports of life-threatening incidents, the operator must ask specific questions to prioritize the call accurately and assign it appropriately to emergency responders.”
Therefore, it is important to answer the questions asked as this is vital for responding emergency personnel.
The week kicked off on Sunday 24th April with a Church Service at the Bethany Baptist Church in Blue Hills and ended with an Officers Appreciation cocktail at Kalooki’s located in Blue Hills.