Written by Amanda Coers – Governor Greg Abbott has declared this week Public Safety Telecommunicators Week as part of a month-long campaign to show appreciation to the men and women who work behind the scenes as emergency dispatchers. Governor Abbott called emergency dispatchers “the unseen first responders” in a proclamation recently published, adding, “Their specialized skills and calm presence are invaluable to the Lone Star State.”

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Brownwood Chief of Police Terry Nichols read the governor’s proclamation during a small celebration held in the emergency dispatch hub at the Law Enforcement Center at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12th.

“I personally, as a chief, want to say thank you for the work that you do,” Nichols addressed the dispatchers gathered with their friends and families. “You are the unsung heroes. You’re the first line for those people that call in, you’re the first line for the officers that need help. And you are appreciated. I think it’s absolutely incredible what you do.”

In conjunction with the celebration of Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, there was also a special “unveiling” of decorations for a contest hosted by the West Central Texas of Governments, or the COG, which is a is a political subdivision of the state of Texas serving 19 counties in a rural area encompassing 18,000 square miles.

Each year, the COG would hold a decoration contest for local dispatch agencies. This year there was no competition.

“Everyone has dropped out, because we usually win first and second place,” Head of Communications, Deedra Molotsky laughed. “So this year there’s not a contest because we win by proxy. So we decided to go forth with it, because we all enjoy it.”

She then brought up the dispatcher who lead the decoration effort, Jonna Dodd.

“She is our artist, she is the heart and the idea behind it all,” said Molotsky, introducing Jonna Dodd. “I want to thank her for always going the extra mile.”

Looking around the room at the elaborate decorations that took months to complete, it’s no wonder the competition was hesitant to throw their hat in the ring. The Brownwood dispatchers put together an Alice in Wonderland theme, with a specific nod to the Mad Hatter’s tea party. It’s a fun homage to the character’s asking, “Have I gone mad?”  Alice replies, “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

A dispatcher’s job could indeed be described as working in a madhouse with unpredictable workloads and intense coordinating with multiple agencies in order to ensure safety for both the general public as well as first responders and law enforcement. Their calls range from loose cows wandering roadways, to frantic mothers calling 911 for injured children. In a single shift, a dispatcher could be laughing, crying, terrified, heartbroken, and stressed.

“I hope you all love it as much as we do. We worked our tails off and I love every bit of it,” Molotsky said of the decorations.

Pictured below are some of the many decorations that brightened the room. A full album can be found on our Facebook Page.