YARMOUTH – Yarmouth Police and Fire Department Dispatchers are always there to answer the call, providing an indispensable service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Public Safety Telecommunicators, or Dispatchers, are the first critical contact people have with emergency services.
Yarmouth Police Department Dispatchers handle all of the town of Yarmouth initial 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls.
Emergency 9-1-1Police Dispatchers ensure the appropriate assistance is provided, whether it is sending a Police Officer to respond to a call, or contacting Fire, Natural Resources, Highway Safety, or other Emergency Services.
In addition, they are in constant radio communication with our Patrol Officers, often assisting them by looking up vehicle identification, license plate and driver license numbers, or by running checks for wanted subjects
Our Police Dispatchers are required to multi-task with a number of phone lines, computer systems, and radios as well as handle concerns of citizens who come into our lobby. One of their most crucial roles is to maintain communication with our officers and provide information critical for their safety.
All Yarmouth Police Dispatchers have earned certification as Public Safety Telecommunicators and have one of the most demanding jobs in Public Safety.
Our Yarmouth Police Department Emergency 9-11 Police Dispatchers are:
Stephen Peterson is our Senior Police Dispatcher and is currently in his 38th year of fulltime service with the Yarmouth Police Department. In addition, Dispatcher Peterson has also served a Yarmouth Police Department Reserve Police Officer for 28 years. During his career Dispatcher Peterson has received numerous Departmental Awards, Citations, and Commendations including Reserve Police Officer of the Year in 1988. Prior to joining the Yarmouth Police Department, Dispatcher Peterson served our Country as a United States Marine and earned the rank of Sergeant—meritoriously—as a member of the 1st Battalion 12th Marine Regiment. Dispatcher Peterson is a Class of 1974 graduate of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School and has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Cape Cod Community College.
Maria Curtis is currently in her 15th year of fulltime service as a Yarmouth Police Dispatcher and was named the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher of the Year in 2015. Prior to serving with the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher Curtis served as a Police Dispatcher for 13 years with the Eastham Police Department. Dispatcher Curtis has a wide variety of training and certificates and has earned several Departmental Awards and Commendations. In addition Dispatcher Curtis serves as our Criminal History Systems Board LEAPS/CJIS representative and E911 Telecommunications Board Coordinator. Dispatcher Curtis is a graduate of Nauset Regional High School and the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council Reserve Intermittent Police Academy. Dispatcher Curtis has several college degrees including an Associate of Science Degree in Paralegal from Bay Path College, an Associate in Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Cape Cod Community College, and a Bachelor in Science in Criminal Justice from Western New England College.
Paul Leidenfrost is in his 7th year of fulltime service as a Yarmouth Police Dispatcher and received the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher of the Year Award in 2014. Dispatcher Leidenfrost is highly trained with a wide range of professional public safety experience and service. Dispatcher Leidenfrost has previously served for 9 years as a fulltime Police Dispatcher with the New Jersey State Police and for 1 year with the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office. Dispatcher Leidenfrost is a Certified Emergency Medical Technician and the recipient of the prestigious American Ambulance Association Star of Life Award. In addition, Dispatcher Leidenfrost formerly served as an auxiliary Police Officer and Dispatcher with the Green brook Police Department in New Jersey and is a graduate of Midland Park High School.
Katie Brown is in her 6th year of fulltime service with the Yarmouth Police Department and received the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher of the Year Award in 2016. Dispatcher Brown is well trained and experienced and has previous full and part time police dispatch experience with the Harwich and Chatham Police Departments. Dispatcher Brown also serves as a Yarmouth Police Department Reserve Police Officer. Dispatcher Brown is a class of 2000 graduate of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School and the Massachusetts Municipal Police Officer Reserve Intermittent Police Academy and has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Psychology from Western New England College.
Sean Ryan is in his 3rd year of fulltime service with the Yarmouth Police Department. Dispatcher Ryan also serves as a Yarmouth Police Department Reserve Police Officer. Dispatcher Ryan is a Class of 1995 graduate of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School and the Massachusetts Municipal Police Officer Reserve Intermittent Police Academy. In addition, he has attended Cape Cod Community College and the University of Massachusetts.
Kerrie Pentland is her 3rd year of service. Prior to joining the Yarmouth Police Department, Dispatcher Pentland served as a Police Dispatcher with the Chatham and Harwich Police Departments.Dispatcher Pentland is a Class of 1994 graduate of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School and has attended Bridgewater State University.
Ariana L. Rogers is in her first year of service. Dispatcher Rogers is a Massachusetts Certified Nurse Aid and a student in Criminal Justice at Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable. Dispatcher Rogers is a Class of 2014 graduate of Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich. Prior to joining the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher Rogers earned the title of United States Marine and is currently serving as a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserves where she has received two Meritorious Mast Awards for her service.
David S. Dickey, Jr. is also in his first year of service. Dispatcher Dickey is the oldest son of veteran Yarmouth Police Department Patrol Officer David S. Dickey and prior to joining the Yarmouth Police Department Dispatcher Dickey served as a police intern with the Yarmouth and Barnstable Police Departments and is a graduate of the 2016 Yarmouth Police Department Citizen Police Academy 23rd Session where he served as Class President. Dispatcher Dickey earned an Associate in Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable in 2016 and is a Class of 2013 graduate of Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich.
The above article was submitted the Command Staff of the Yarmouth Police Department.
