Charleston, W.Va. – Governor Jim Justice has signed a proclamation designating April 14-20, 2019, as West Virginia Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

This week honors the hundreds of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to West Virginia’s citizens.

Recent events like the motor vehicle accident with sixteen students from Martinsburg High School injured and entrapped on Interstate 64 highlight the work of telecommunications professionals. The quick thinking and response of those staffing the Raleigh County Emergency Services and 9-1-1 Center that night shone through in their outstanding performance. Without those professionals, the call could have ended quite differently.

“Telecommunications professionals are vital to West Virginia, contributing to the safety of our citizens as the first point of contact with emergency services, and to the safety of our first responders whose lives depend on the accuracy of information they collect,” said Mike Todorovich, Director of the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.