This week is National Telecommunicators Week and in Baytown, we can’t thank our telecommunicators enough. They answer the tough phone calls, but also work hard to get us help when seconds count.
Roderick Jackson, Communications Manager for Baytown’s Public Safety Communications, said, “We are technically the first responder. We hear what’s going on before anyone sees what’s going on.”
Roderick walks into his job daily, ready to help his team of emergency communicators respond to each call in the best way possible.
He said, “I love it all. Communicating with others, serving the community, the fast-paced environment, coaching my team, and building relationships to help them meet their goals and objectives.”
A great team also benefits from a great facility to respond in an emergency.
Roderick said, “We have a top-tier facility that has numerous redundant systems in place to deal with any manmade or natural disasters and have employees who are dedicated individuals who are trained as professionals and prepared to answer each call for emergency assistance.”
When it comes to teamwork, Roderick says there is not a stronger team in Baytown than his group.
“A healthy culture is ensuring that people are recognized when recognition is due, no matter what their role is,” said Roderick.
He added, “I deeply appreciate every member of this team for showing relentless effort to go above and beyond.”
Our telecommunicators don’t work for the kudos though, which makes this time of recognition even more meaningful.
Roderick said, “We can hear the crisis. We can hear the worst day of somebody’s life when we pick up the phone. We don’t get very many 'thank you’s' and we don’t hear what happens after the call. To be recognized is nice.”
Look for more profiles as we recognize are dedicated dispatchers.