The City of Brentwood and the state of Tennessee are celebrating this week as it is
   National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week .
   The week , sponsored by the Association of Public - Safety Communications Officials ( APCO ) International and celebrated annually , honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls , dispatch emergency professionals and equipment , and render life - saving assistance to the world’s citizens .   Recent events surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic have highlighted the work of telecommunications professionals at the Brentwood Police Department and around the country .
   During this week , Tennessee Governor Bill Lee , and the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board ( TECB ) honor the men and women who respond to emergency calls , dispatch emergency professionals and equipment , and render life - saving assistance to Tennessee citizens . You can meet some of the Tennessee public safety telecommunicators
   in this video
   who are on the front lines of public safety in Williamson County , as this video was filmed in the 911 center .
   One of Brentwood’s former telecommunicators , Andrew Patton , was featured in another video documentary , produced by his son in 2021 .   “People usually don’t call 911 when they are having a good day , ” Andrew Patton said in the video .    Jackie Jackson , who has been a public safety dispatcher with the City of Brentwood for 24 years said , “the first thing that goes through your mind is , it could be someone calling as they are disabled , a car wreck , a stabbing or armed robbery .   You just never know . ”  Brentwood Emergency Communications Supervisor , Kathleen Watkins , highlights the importance of following a dispatcher’s instructions .   “The quicker you answer questions being asked , the quicker help will arrive , ” Watkins said .   “Dispatchers are trained to ask very direct questions , in return of hoping to get very direct answers back from the caller , ” Watkins added .
    
   Brentwood Police Chief Richard Hickey
   recalls the late 90s gameshow ,
   Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
    , where if contestants didn’t have the answer , they could use a lifeline and call for help . “We have been using a lifeline for years and they are called dispatchers .   When the police need help , they call a dispatcher .   When citizens need help , they call a dispatcher .   They are truly the first responders , and we could not do our job without them .   They are our lifelines , ” Chief Hickey said .
   Since 1987 , Brentwood’s 911 dispatchers have worked in a windowless office at Brentwood’s City Hall building located at 5211 Maryland Way .   Sometime later this year , they will be relocated to the Brentwood Police Headquarters building on Heritage Way .   Watkins is excited about the move for many reasons . “The space will include state of the art equipment and technology , will be centrally located within the police department which will allow for collaboration during major events and a wall full of windows to help provide for a better level of mental health , ” Watkins said .
   You can learn more about the Brentwood
   Emergency Communications Center
   online or through the documentary on the
   City’s YouTube channel .
   

Press release information:

Direct link to press release: Click here .

Keywords and search queries from search engines related to the press release : pediatric emergency medicine near brentwood , pediatric emergency services near brentwood , brentwood police department