Wylie honors dispatchers and proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month; nonprofits outline foster‑care support

Mayor Matthew Porter and council members used the April 8 meeting to recognize public safety telecommunicators and to proclaim April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Wylie.

Mayor Porter read a proclamation honoring the city’s 9‑1‑1 dispatch team and cited statistics staff provided: the dispatch center answered about 72,000 phone calls in 2024, including approximately 16,809 emergency 9‑1‑1 calls, and reported an average answer time of 2.2 seconds. A dispatch manager and members of the dispatch team introduced themselves and described staffing: 12 dispatchers, one CAD analyst, three supervisors and a manager; the team reported an average call‑answer target of 1 minute and a 2024 average of 30 seconds from answer to dispatch.

Porter also presented a proclamation recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month and invited representatives from local nonprofits to explain services. Speakers included K. Dixie Jeffers of Foster Friends, Izzy Zimmerman of Empower (the single source continuum contractor for regional foster care), Tricia Clifton, CEO of CASA of Collin County, and Courtney Gamble, CASA supervisor and guardian ad litem for Collin County cases. The nonprofit speakers described volunteer drives and supports for children in foster care, including upcoming shoe drives and community events.

Lieutenant Jeff Cowan of the Wylie Police Department also introduced members of the department who work with the Collin County Child Advocacy Center on child crimes.

Why it matters

The telecommunicator proclamation documented operational performance metrics that the city connected to response capability (including ISO 1 rating impacts); the child‑abuse proclamation highlighted community partners that provide advocacy, legal representation and support to children in foster care and urged residents to report suspected abuse.

Clarifying details

- Dispatch statistics cited by staff: ~72,000 total phone calls in 2024; ~16,809 911 calls; average answer time 2.2 seconds; goal from answer to dispatch 1 minute, 2024 average 30 seconds (manager statement). - Collin County child abuse statistic referenced in the proclamation: more than 800 reports of child abuse and neglect in Collin County in 2024 (proclamation text).

Speakers

- Matthew Porter, Mayor (first referenced 00:00:03.44) - Danae (dispatch manager, identified on the record during the proclamation; first referenced 00:09:16.55) - K. Dixie Jeffers, Foster Friends (first referenced 00:15:37.54) - Izzy Zimmerman, Empower (first referenced 00:16:28.39) - Tricia Clifton, CEO, CASA of Collin County (first referenced 00:16:48.60) - Courtney Gamble, CASA supervisor/guardian ad litem (first referenced 00:17:21.03) - Lieutenant Jeff Cowan, Wylie Police Department (first referenced 00:18:22.15)

Authorities

- Proclamations are ceremonial declarations by the Mayor on behalf of the Wylie City Council; no regulatory effect.

Proper names

Wylie Emergency Services; Foster Friends; Empower; CASA of Collin County; Collin County Child Advocacy Center; Wylie Fire Rescue; Wylie Police Department.

Provenance

- topicintro: "So Wiley is blessed to have an amazing group of first responders... I am pleased to be able to give you a few statistics from last year... 72,000 calls taken by this team last year." (timecode 00:06:56.00) - topfinish: "Now, therefore, I'm Matthew Porter, mayor of the city of Wylie... do hereby proclaim the month of April 2025, child abuse prevention month in the city of Wylie, Texas..." (timecode 00:18:22.15)

Searchable_tags:["telecommunicators","dispatch","child abuse prevention","CASA","Foster Friends"]

salience:{"overall":0.40,"overall_justification":"Ceremonial proclamations recognizing local public‑safety staff and community organizations; informs residents about services and invites engagement."}