Brick 9-1-1 Dispatchers Answered 116,000 Calls In 2018

BRICK, NJ — In 2018, the Brick Township Police Department received more than 116,000 calls from citizens seeking help.

On the receiving end of those calls were the dispatchers of the township's police department, contacting emergency services, be it fire, first aid, police or all of three.

Brick Township officials took a moment at Tuesday's Township Council meeting to thank the men and women who work as dispatchers in the township, and the police department added its own thanks on Friday for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

"These unseen heroes are always on the other end of the line, walking callers through medical emergencies, calming victims and ensuring them that help is fast on its way, all while relaying important information over the air to us as we're responding to calls." the police department said in a post on Facebook.

Deputy Police Chief Donald Ling said of the 116,000 calls the dispatchers answered, 88,000 required a police response.

"While the officer is en route, the telecommunicators are looking up the address, providing information about any hazards there or in the area," Ling said at the council meeting. And they stay in touch with police officers while they are at the scene of an incident to make sure those officers are safe.

"They are the first and most critical contact residents have with emergency services," Ling said. "Because of their professionalism and expertise, the citizens and our officers are safer."

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was established in 1981 to honor the men and women who are the first answering calls for help.

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