Deschutes County proclaims Public Health, Dark Sky and Telecommunicators weeks

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on April 8, 2026 issued three proclamations recognizing National Public Health Week (April 6–12), International Dark Sky Week (April 13–19) and Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 12–18).

Heather Kaisner, Deschutes County Public Health Director, joined Holly Harris, Health Services Director, to accept the public-health proclamation and thanked the board for support of the public-health division, noting the staff’s pandemic-era responsibilities and current budgetary pressures. "They're a dedicated bunch of individuals and work tirelessly behind the scenes," Kaisner said.

Kathy Flanigan, founding member and treasurer of Dark Sky Oregon, thanked the commissioners for support and noted the county updated its outdoor lighting ordinance in December. She said the group is working with the City of Bend to address light pollution and described a county effort to map blue street lights and share the data with PacificCorp and local public-works staff.

Sarah Crosswhite, Deschutes County 911 director, and Chris Perry, 911 operations manager, accepted the telecommunicators proclamation and introduced a short video by St. Charles Health System illustrating 911 coordination with first responders and hospitals. A woman featured in the video, Grace Hatfield, described how a 911 operator guided her family through CPR and helped save a loved one: "My name is Grace Hatfield. I'm 46 years old and I'm a mom of two teenagers. I'm really grateful for 911 responders. I am super thankful for medics that spend their life devoted to perfect strangers," she said.

Each proclamation was moved, seconded and approved on the consent or proclamation portion of the agenda. The board took photographs to commemorate the recognitions.

The county recording of the meeting is available online for anyone seeking the complete remarks and proclamation text.