OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — This week is 'National Public Safety Telecommunications Week'. It's designated to celebrate 9-1-1 dispatchers across the country.
The Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority said this week always means a lot to their team.
"We operate generally, you know, behind the scenes within a secure building, we're not out in the public, we're not visible as much obviously, but yet, we're still working in a public service roll," said Pete McWatters, the Executive Director for the Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority. "And we want to celebrate that and it gives us a chance to kind of celebrate what we do and let people know that we're here and working hard and what we do for the community."
RELATED: Kent Co. youth soccer team takes CPR class after player suffers cardiac arrest during practice
National Public Safety Telecommunications Week was a local initiative that was initially set up in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of Contra Costa County, which later went on to become a nationwide, week-long event.
You can learn more about the week-long celebration by clicking here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.