Greater Sudbury's 9-1-1 Dispatch Headquarters
Greater Sudbury’s 9-1-1 Dispatch Headquarters

By Angela Gemmill

When someone calls 9-1-1, the first person they speak with is a dispatcher…also called a Communicator, who then sends out police, fire and/or paramedic services depending on what is needed.

This week is Public Safety Telecommunications Week across Canada.

Manager of Communications at Greater Sudbury Police Service, Marianne Laberge, says communicators have specialized skills, handle traumatic calls and work with professionalism even during a confusing or frenzied call.

She says there’s one message in particular they want to spread: if you call 9-1-1 by mistake, stay on the line to explain to the operator what happened.

That’s because dispatchers must determine the source of the call and if someone hangs up then they must spend time tracking that information down.

Laberge commends the 42 full and part-time staff who work in the 9-1-1 dispatch headquarters in Greater Sudbury.

She says they work hard, are professional and help callers stay calm during stressful and traumatic situations.