News Detail

Franklin County Honors Its Dedicated Public Safety Telecommunicators

Commissioners

April 04, 2025

Pictured (from left): Franklin County Commissioner John Flannery, Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst, Emergency Services Communication Coordinator Barbara Harshman, Emergency Services Assistant Director Jacob Stoner, 911 telecommunicator Kelby Warrenfeltz, Emergency Services Director Mary K. Seville and Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – The Franklin County Commissioners have proclaimed April 13-19, 2025, to be National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Franklin County. In doing so, they are highlighting the role these individuals play as a critical link between citizens and emergency services.

When emergencies occur, public safety telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact callers have with emergency responders. These dispatchers must correctly gather and relay accurate information directly to police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) to ensure their prompt response to the scene of an emergency. Telecommunicators also serve as a vital resource for those responding agencies by monitoring their radio activity and by providing them with critical information.

Locally, the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services (DES) handles all aspects of call processing for fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies – with the exception of the Pennsylvania State Police Chambersburg Barracks – to 22 municipalities in the county. In 2024, DES received 112,755 calls and processed and dispatched 82,232 911 calls.

“Telecommunications is a 24-7 job, 365 days a year, and it takes a special kind of individual to take on this role,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst. “To be a 911 telecommunicator, you have to make quick decisions while remaining calm and patient even though the caller on the line may be experiencing the worst day of his or her life. ‘Thank you’ can’t convey how grateful we are for our telecommunicators and for their dedication, professionalism and for everything they do to protect us during emergencies.”

By recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Franklin County, the commissioners are encouraging everyone to recognize and thank these men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep Franklin County and its residents safe.