Spring Break
Dispatch center takes 160,000 calls every year
Leamarie Roth
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Emergency service professionals are seen as heroes because they work to save lives and keep the community safe.
Pennsylvania has many different emergency service personnel, including firefighters, police and emergency medical service technicians.
Any local 911 call requiring the assistance of emergency service professionals will go through the 911 call center in Upper Nazareth Township.
The center, which serves 220,000 county residents, receives an average of 160,000 calls each year, says Bob Mateff, its deputy director.
The center takes the information from callers and contacts the appropriate emergency service workers who then respond to the call, Mateff says.
The most stressful part of his job at the center is not knowing what kind of call will come next, says Mateff, who graduated from NCC in 1986 with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has served as an emergency medical technician, police officer and fire service instructor.
Melvin Bachman, a shift supervisor at the center, also attended NCC, where he studied Emergency Services Technology. Bachman, who answers and dispatches 911 calls, has served as a volunteer firefighter for more than 15 years.
Bachman takes great satisfaction in his work. "When I go home at night, I know my neighborhood is safe because the people working here (at the center) are keeping my neighborhood safe," he says.
With the area's growing population, the demands on emergency service professionals continue to grow. Employees of the center receive six months of extensive training that mainly consist of interacting with people. Only about 5 percent of the training is technology-based, Mateff says.
There are different ways to become involved in emergency services. If you choose to be an active professional or career responder, you would have training and schooling that would encompass at least 200 to 500 hours. To be part of the CERT program, or Community Emergency Response Teams, you would take an 18- to 20-hour training program, which is geared for neighbor helping neighbor.
One person who strongly believes in CERT training to promote preparedness is Tom Barnowski, director of Emergency Services Training at NCC. He has been a certified fire/rescue responder for more than 20 years.
Being prepared is essential to saving lives in your community, he says.
Pennsylvania has many different emergency service personnel, including firefighters, police and emergency medical service technicians.
Any local 911 call requiring the assistance of emergency service professionals will go through the 911 call center in Upper Nazareth Township.
The center, which serves 220,000 county residents, receives an average of 160,000 calls each year, says Bob Mateff, its deputy director.
The center takes the information from callers and contacts the appropriate emergency service workers who then respond to the call, Mateff says.
The most stressful part of his job at the center is not knowing what kind of call will come next, says Mateff, who graduated from NCC in 1986 with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has served as an emergency medical technician, police officer and fire service instructor.
Melvin Bachman, a shift supervisor at the center, also attended NCC, where he studied Emergency Services Technology. Bachman, who answers and dispatches 911 calls, has served as a volunteer firefighter for more than 15 years.
Bachman takes great satisfaction in his work. "When I go home at night, I know my neighborhood is safe because the people working here (at the center) are keeping my neighborhood safe," he says.
With the area's growing population, the demands on emergency service professionals continue to grow. Employees of the center receive six months of extensive training that mainly consist of interacting with people. Only about 5 percent of the training is technology-based, Mateff says.
There are different ways to become involved in emergency services. If you choose to be an active professional or career responder, you would have training and schooling that would encompass at least 200 to 500 hours. To be part of the CERT program, or Community Emergency Response Teams, you would take an 18- to 20-hour training program, which is geared for neighbor helping neighbor.
One person who strongly believes in CERT training to promote preparedness is Tom Barnowski, director of Emergency Services Training at NCC. He has been a certified fire/rescue responder for more than 20 years.
Being prepared is essential to saving lives in your community, he says.