Arapahoe County Re-Names Emergency Dispatchers: 'Truly The First, First Responders'
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Arapahoe County designated their 911 dispatchers as first responders on Wednesday. They join Pitkin County as the only Colorado counties to change the designation.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor categorizes dispatchers as administrative jobs, not life-saving.
"It's really been hard being told that we are basically secretaries, we're clerical workers," said Arapahoe County dispatcher Vanessa Wolny.
She has been working there for six-and-a-half years.
"We are the first ones to hear the screams, we're the first one to hear what's really going on in the situation," she said.
Emergency dispatchers are on the front lines helping people navigate what may be the worst day of their lives.
"In our center alone, dispatchers have handled critical calls. Frantic people at the Aurora Theater shooting, high school students trying to hide at the Arapahoe High School, students and teachers at the STEM School shooting. This just names a few of the calls that they have handled," said Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Communications Manager Cathy Raley.
Effective immediately, emergency dispatchers in Arapahoe County are now classified as First Responders.
"We are doing this because we have always known that our dispatchers are the truly the first, first responders," said Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown.
This not only increases their salary; it also expands their access to mental health services.
"I hope that this is the beginning. That one day all dispatchers nationwide will be classified as first responders," said Brown.
Right now there are 36 emergency dispatcher positions total in Arapahoe County.