Throughout the Nation, hundreds of thousands of dispatchers save lives daily, including our own on Kauai.
Last Monday, the Kauai Police Department, KPD, and other safety agencies and members from around the state honored the 911 dispatchers who answer the calls, recognizing Public Safety Telecommunications during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami proclaimed April 13 through 19 as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week and honored the indispensable role the all-women dispatchers team plays in effectively carrying out their duties while answering calls from not only the police but also fire and Emergency Medical Services, taking non-emergency calls, and monitoring radio communications.
He stated, “If someone out of this universe asked me what a public servant is, the first place I would think of is probably to Dispatch,” said Mayor Kawakami.
“When you talk about people who dedicate their lives, giving to the community, and serving a community without any recognition. I think dispatchers, the telecom folks, and our Public Safety Division define what a public servant is.”
“I’ve had the pleasure to witness the complexity that goes on when they receive an emergency call, and the amount of multitasking involved while remaining cool, calm, and collected is astonishing in itself,” he said.
KPD employs ten full-time dispatchers, half the staffing required to maintain normal operations. However, these committed women of our community voluntarily take additional hours and sacrifice time off to ensure that emergency assistance is available 24/7.
State Senate Leaders also honored Kauai’s dispatchers with a proclamation emphasizing their invaluable contributions to the more than 60,000 calls for service they answer every year.
Kristin Minei, an eleven-year dispatcher with KPD, expressed feeling appreciated about being recognized and emphasized the strong multitasking abilities dispatching requires. Her genuine passion for helping others makes the job a rewarding career.
“It feels good to be recognized for all the work we’ve been doing,” said Minei, “Especially in the last year, we’ve been working so many hours, so it feels good to be recognized. It was always my hope when I was younger to find something that I could just commit myself to, and when I got here, I did find that, and I hope that I can be here until I retire,” she said.
“When I leave my job at the end of the night, I think— I did everything that I could, I helped as many people as I could, and I did what I was supposed to do, and that is very rewarding.
“Right now, we are an all-women team, and no one really understands what we go through, but luckily, we are close. The girls that I work with understand we vent, we curse, we talk, and we lean on each other, and it’s special. It’s not really a job that everyone thinks about, but anyone interested should give it a shot, and maybe you’ll find that this is where you’re meant to be,” she said.
Rescue leaders also encouraged everyone to recognize our silent community heroes. Kawakami noted that he hopes to soon have “Dispatchers recognized as first responders” and added, “I’ve also committed to working one shift with these great folks; I’m attesting to it today. “
Individuals interested in making a positive difference in their community can find further information by visiting the County of Kauai’s employment website at www.kauai.gov/jobs.
