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Benton Township fire chief praises Berrien County 9-1-1 dispatch, urges applicants
Summary
Rob Harper, fire chief of the Benton Charter Township Fire Department, told meeting attendees that Berrien County 9-1-1 dispatchers are essential to emergency response and said the county is hiring dispatchers.
Rob Harper, fire chief of the Benton Charter Township Fire Department in Berrien County, Michigan, praised Berrien County 9-1-1 dispatchers and urged people to apply for dispatcher positions during remarks recorded at a meeting.
Harper said the county dispatchers are “an integral part of our job” and described them as the “frontline defense” that passes critical information from callers to fire, police and EMS crews. He said dispatchers inform responders about whether anyone is trapped, whether weapons are present and whether there are special hazards at a scene.
“Berrien County dispatchers, without them, we would be lost for the most part,” Harper said. He told attendees that dispatchers also provide medical-relevant details that help crews prepare before arriving, citing geriatric patients on oxygen as an example.
Harper said the county is hiring and described dispatching as “a great opportunity and it's a great career to get into to keep the community safe.” He concluded his remarks with a brief recruitment call: “Apply today.”
The remarks combined praise for dispatchers' role in public safety with an on-the-record request for applicants; no formal motions, votes or next steps were recorded in the transcript for this item.
