Sometimes the ones who don’t seek recognition are the ones who deserve it most. I can think of no more fitting example of this than Chenango County’s public safety dispatchers.

They are the unsung heroes of emergency services. The voice on the other end of the phone when we call for help, not the ones who ride to the rescue with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Their role may be behind the scenes, but it is no less crucial to public safety.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, these dedicated public servants serve as the link between people in their hour of need and the emergency responders who can help.

No matter what the emergency, they are trained to assess the situation and dispatch the appropriate resources. And they must do so while staying calm, cool and collected with a caller on the phone who is anything but.

I’m not exactly the calm, cool and collected type. In fact, I have a bit of a reputation as a “crier.” (Much to my esteemed editor’s chagrin, I might add.) It is one of the reasons I am so in awe of what these dispatchers do every day. Because I honestly don’t know if I could do what they do.

This was reinforced last week, when I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Chenango County Communications Center.

I was preparing to write for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which our fair county is observing this year for the first time. I volunteered for the assignment, even though it was outside the scope of my beat. Not to step on Tyler’s toes. (Although that’s always fun.) No, I had a personal reason for wanting to cover the story.