First Responder Friday Salutes Central New York 9-1-1 Dispatchers

It's like the old Rudyard Kipling poem, "If." "If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs.." The poem ends with, "then you're a man," but it just as easily could be "then you're a 9-1-1 Dispatcher."

Recognizing CNY's 9-1-1 Dispatchers with our First Responder Friday honor was the idea of Ernie Flagg. Ernie has been a Taberg Firefighter for more than 30 years and went to great lengths to make sure we were aware of the work dispatchers do that rarely gets any attention.

In Ernie's words:

without them, firemen can’t do our job, police can’t do theirs, and ambulance drivers can’t do theirs. They're the backbone behind all of us.

Not only do these heros guide our first responders to the scene, but they offer a calm and soothing voice to someone on the other end of the phone who is usually in "pure-panic" mode. Thanks Ernie for bringing this to our attemtion, and thank you Dispatchers for doing what you do.

Do you know a first responder that deserves to be recognized? Tell us about someone who should be honored in central New York - a firefighter, police officer, EMT, forest ranger, paramedic, DEC officers, military, rescuers or any other person first on the scene.

Include their name, a picture and why they should be recognized during 'First Responder Friday,' presented by Martin, Harding & Mazzotti.

We'll honor one first responder every Friday and as a way to say thank you, we'll give them a bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

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