[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION DIVISION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMA J. TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 23, 2016

  Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Los Angeles 
Police Department Communication Division for its dedicated service to 
protecting our communities. Throughout the region, there are several 
public safety call centers staffed by civilians who dedicate their 
lives to helping others. These individuals are critical to Los Angeles' 
public safety and help serve the wide-ranging needs of everyday 
residents.
  Though they rarely get the credit they deserve, it is difficult to 
understate the importance of these professionals in serving our 
communities. While public-safety communicators are usually the first 
individuals that the public comes in contact with during an emergency, 
they also play a vital role in coordinating the first response to 
police, fire, and rescue incidents. They possess many admirable 
qualities, among which is the ability to maintain composure under 
extremely stressful circumstances. As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher within 
the department, I know the challenges they face on a daily basis, which 
is why I would like to honor their service to our community.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to work for the Los Angeles Police 
Department Communication Division for over 17 years. Throughout that 
time, this division has helped coordinate responses to both routine 
occurrences and extraordinary situations, some of which have garnered 
national and international attention. They regularly dispatch first 
responders to thousands of incidents and have played a critical role in 
national emergencies. I applaud their continual efforts to serve our 
communities. On Sunday, April 10, they will be hosting an alumni 
gathering to mark the start of National Public Safety Telecommunicators 
Week.
  Mr. Speaker, they are just one of many community organizations across 
the country that will recognize the second week of April as National 
Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. I would like to offer my support 
for this declaration and make note that I have introduced a Concurrent 
Resolution that would offer Congress' recognition of this designation. 
I believe that this will highlight the important contributions that 
public safety communication professionals provide our communities day 
in and day out and recognize the value of their work.

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