It's National Telecommunicators Week and time to celebrate our 14 professional dispatchers! Unseen heroes, our dispatchers are the first voice a caller hears, providing reassurance that help is on the way. 

In Eden Prairie we have our own 911 Dispatch Center that handles all police, fire and ambulance calls in the city. In addition, our dispatchers manage non-emergency calls after regular business hours, such as broken water mains, urgent road repairs and malfunctioning signal lights. On average, dispatchers answer 50,000 non-emergency and 911 calls each year.

Our dispatchers know our officers and firefighters, as well the city itself – its infrastructure, streets, parks, shopping areas, schools, etc. – and are therefore able to provide customized service to people who call 911. Their ability to multitask, effectively communicate and remain calm – sometimes under extreme pressure – is imperative to keeping both officers and residents safe. For that we say thank you and happy National Telecommunicators Week!