Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. Martha Dykstra is Dispatch Supervisor for Marion County, and has been serving the area since March 1998. She says every time they pick up that phone, they try to put themselves in the place of that caller. They want to provide the best outcome for the caller as well as the responders, so everyone can go home that night to their families. Dykstra says those in this field do not do the job for recognition, they do it because they know they are making a difference.

The Pella Police Department’s Administrative Services Manager, Marcia Slycord, tells KNIA/KRLS News that she has five full time staffers covering four administrative lines, plus 911, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She reminds listeners that if you are experiencing an emergency, stay as calm as possible, listen to what the dispatcher is telling you, and answer as many questions as you can, because they need to paint a picture of the situation for any officers or emergency responders that may need to find and/or assist you.