BELLEFONTE — The Centre County Board of Commissioners declared Monday, April 15, through Friday, April 19, as 911 Dispatchers Week in Centre County.
Rayme Weidel, assistant director of Centre County 911 Emergency Communications, spoke about the vital services provided by the county’s dispatchers at the BOC meeting on Tuesday, while accompanied by members of the dispatch team.
“This week is very special to us because it’s a time that we get to honor and say ‘thank you’ to those that answer the call every day,” Weidel stated. “Centre County 911 dispatchers handle everything from simple questions to life and death situations by providing comfort and assistance to strangers in their darkest moments, even though they can’t see what’s happening.”
According to Weidel, the county’s 911 dispatchers keep the communication center operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, often sacrificing holidays, family events, days off and more to ensure that the community receives help when it’s needed most. She noted that in 2023 alone, dispatchers and supervisors handled more than 130,000 phone calls and worked about 6,000 hours of overtime.
“Centre County is very fortunate to have these 911 staff. Their dedication and service go without saying, and I’m extremely proud of the job that they do,” Weidel emphasized.
Commissioner Vice Chair Amber Concepcion expressed her gratitude to the county’s dispatch services, particularly in emergency situations.
“There’s been some really heroic efforts by some of our dispatchers where they’ve been part of life-saving calls, where they’ve been able to talk people through CPR and even childbirth,” Concepcion said.
Weidel added that they are actively seeking more dispatchers to join the team. Currently, there are 11 telecommunicators with Centre County 911 Emergency Communications but the hope is to reach a total of 17.
“If anyone is looking to join our group or find a rewarding career where they can make a difference like our staff does, we do have vacancies,” Weidel said. “We have lots of information on our Facebook page and we also have listings on the Centre County website.”
The three commissioners unanimously approved the proclamation for 911 Dispatchers Week in Centre County.
