BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A tradition 45 years in the making, originating in Contra Costa County near San Francisco, but it’s now celebrated nationwide.
This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, or more commonly called Dispatcher Appreciation Week.
“The dispatchers are incredible,” Andrew Clark with the Bakersfield Fire Department said. “They’re the first ones that answer a call in an emergency. They’re the calm voice behind the chaos.”
Dispatcher Appreciation Week is a time to recognize the voices behind the answering line, voices like Skylar Johnson, a fire one dispatcher.
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“This is my dream job. I want to be here long term,” Johnson said. “I was born and raised here in Kern County, and I think community should be our number one, always. And taking care of our community.”
These public servants are the first line of defense. Another day in the office for them is commonly the caller’s worst day of their life.
“That’s probably the hardest part, listening to people that are in desperate need of help when they need it the most, trying to save their loved one,” Johnson said. “For a lot of us here at the center, we get these really hard calls, and we don’t know what happens after the fact. We just pray and hope for the best.”
However, not all calls are bad.
“We have calls where children are born, and the dispatchers will walk through every step of delivering a child,” Clark said. “If you know a dispatcher, please tell them thank you.”
To show your appreciation, please do not call 911; leave that for emergencies.
Instead, you can send letters to the fire department, share a nice social media post, cater a meal, drop off some goodies or even talk to city leaders about ways to highlight the heroes.
“Everybody I work with supports me all the way,” Johnson said. “If I ever have a question, or if I’m in the middle of a call and I don’t know, they’re always here to back me up and help me. It’s very helpful and encouraging. I love the Bakersfield Fire Department and the Kern County Fire Department.”
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2026 runs from April 12 through April 18, 2026.
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