A nice honor for our local dispatchers this week, as Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington expressed his appreciation during a luncheon in their honor this week.

The event was held in recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which is April 10-16 this year. These are the people who work behind the scenes 24-7 to keep everyone safe.

"It takes a special person to be a dispatcher, and I appreciate each one of these unsung heroes," said Sheriff Whittington in a news release. "They are typically the first contact someone has when they call the Sheriff's Office, and the composure and reassuring tone and demeanor they display is so important. Someone's life, including one of our deputies, may be hanging in the balance, and the response and calmness our dispatchers make is critical. They don't have a second chance at getting it right, and they epitomize our motto of Courteous, Professional and Responsive."

Dispatchers respond to a variety of situations, from barking dogs to rape victims to DWI. According to the sheriff's office, more than 23,000 calls were dispatched in fiscal year 2015.

Take a look at video from this week's Appreciation Luncheon.

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