The week of April 14th-20th is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Its a time to honor the heroes behind the scene. The 911 operators and dispatchers that answer our calls in times of crisis and get the police/fire/EMTs where they need to be. As the week draws to a close we take time to honor those that are there at our worst moment. Several local departments also took time to note the occasion.
YARMOUTH – As the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Recognition week draws to a close, we thank all Town of Yarmouth Public Safety Telecommunicators who will always be there to answer the call, providing an indispensable service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Working in coordination with the dedicated Emergency 911 Dispatchers at the Yarmouth Fire Department, Emergency 911 dispatchers are responsible for receiving incoming emergency calls, prioritizing calls based on the nature of an emergency, providing instructions on life-saving emergency medical interventions, and dispatching the proper emergency personnel.
Emergency 911 Dispatchers ensure the appropriate assistance is provided, whether it is sending a Police Officer to respond to a call, or Yarmouth Fire, Natural Resources, Highway, or other Emergency Services.
In addition, Yarmouth Police Department Emergency 911 Dispatchers 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 Emergency 911 Dispatchers have earned certification as Public Safety Telecommunicators and have one of the most demanding jobs in Public Safety.
Our Yarmouth Police Department Emergency 911 Police Dispatchers are:
Maria Curtis
Maria is our senior Dispatcher and is currently in her 17th year of fulltime service as a Yarmouth Police Dispatcher.
Dispatcher Curtis 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 including 911 Emergency Police Dispatcher of the Year in 2017.
In addition Dispatcher Curtis serves as the Leader of our Volunteers n Policing Program and is 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
Paul is in his 9th 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.
Sean Ryan
Sean is in his 5th 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
Kerrie is her 5th 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 Rogers
Ariana is in her 3rd 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 Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserves where she has received two Meritorious Mast Awards for her service.
Kelly Waugh
Kelly is in her 2nd year of service. Dispatcher Waugh has an Associate Degree in Arts from Cape Cod Community College and is a graduate of Barnstable High School.
Jaime Sundby
Jamie is close to completing her 1st year of service. Dispatcher Sundby previously served as 911 Police and Fire Dispatcher Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office and also served as 911 Police and Fire Dispatcher Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Fairfax, Virginia. Dispatcher Sundby is a graduate of Nauset Regional High School.
Tatiana DeOliveira
Tatiana has just started and is in her first few months of service. Dispatcher DeOliveira is replacing longtime Yarmouth Police Emergency 911Dispatcher Stephen H. Peterson who passed away suddenly in December after nearly 40 years of service.
Dispatcher DeOliveira is fluent if three different languages and in addition to being an Emergency 911 Dispatcher, she serves as a Yarmouth Police Department Matron and Interpreter.
Emergency 911 Dispatchers
The Calm Voice in the Dark
BARNSTABLE – The Barnstable Police Department would like to recognize the tireless and dedicated work of our telecommunicators. As we approach the completion of our first year with our new staff, we look back at how far we have come in just a short time. In 2018 our crew achieved the following:
– Completely revamped our program as we expanded our staff from 2 telecommunicators to 14.
– Promotion of veteran telecommunicator Ross Lloyd to our lead supervisor for the unit. Supervisor Lloyd takes great pride in developing and supervising our new staff.
– Worked through a 6 week complete renovation of our center in a less than ideal temporary room.
– Became a wireless direct answering point by being the first place to pick up the phone when you call 911 on your cell phone in the Town of Barnstable. This saves time and confusion by eliminating transfers from an off Cape call center to us.
– Several of our dispatchers received awards and recognition for a job well done.
– Development and implementation of a Training program currently being used to train new hires with our own qualified staff.
– Finally, probably the largest undertaking of all, was the successful collaboration with the Hyannis Fire Department as we began complete dispatch services for them last summer.
You may find it hard to thank them in person as they work around the clock, tucked away within the walls of the Barnstable Police Department. On behalf of all of the sworn officers of the BPD — I thank you for your hard work, exceptional customer service and professionalism.
TRURO – The Truro Police Department’s Communications Division is made up of 4 Full time Dispatchers, the Administrative Assistant, 4 part- time Dispatchers and two Patrol Officers. All are trained in CPR/AED, APCO Public Safety Telecommunicatons, APCO Emergency Medical Dispatch, Incident Command Systems and our in-house, State and Federal Computer systems. This week we will be honoring those members of the Truro Police who are the “first” first responders.
Telecommunicator Heather Pinargote was hired by the Truro Police Department in 2014. She grew up in Brewster, moved away for a while and then moved back because she knew it would be great place to raise her daughter. A graduate of Nauset High School, she also holds an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. TC Pinargote assists the Communications Supervisor with grant paperwork. She wanted to be a dispatcher because she saw first hand the kind of help that law enforcement and the community provides to those in need and wanted to give back and be a part of that somehow. Her off hours are spent with her daughter and doing crafts.
HARWICH – April 14-20, is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week! It is a time to thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public as Dispatchers. We extend our appreciation to our Harwich Police Dispatchers, who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
These highly trained and dedicated employees are the first point of contact whether you walk into or call the department. Their job is of critical importance to our mission.
For our Police Officers our most important piece of equipment that we carry is our radio. As Police Officers, our Dispatchers are our lifeline. We count on our Dispatchers to provide us with critical information efficiently and effectively. When we need help we count on them to get us help. We simply can not do our job without our Dispatchers.
The men and women of the HPD wish to thank our Dispatchers as well as Dispatchers everywhere for the job that they do each and every day!|
DENNIS – April 14-20, is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week! It is a time to thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public as Dispatchers. All of us at the Dennis Police Department want to recognize our Emergency Telecommunicators who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are the first person you speak with whether it be in an emergency or not, by phone or if you come into the station, which makes the work they do vitally important.
Thank You….
SANDWICH – April 14-20,2019 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators week.
We would like to take a moment to extend our thanks to the men and women who work hard to assist and support us everyday. They are the first voice you hear on the line or the first face you see when you walk into the station for assistance.
We acknowledge & appreciate your dedicated service!
Happy National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week to all emergency telecommunicators including the Sandwich Emergency Communication Center staff who handle SFD dispatch every day!
