Clinton County Commissioners Proclaim The Week of April 14 “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week”
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN – The Clinton County Commissioners held their bi-weekly meeting Thursday morning, during which they proclaimed the week of April 14 as “911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Week” to honor the staff members at the Clinton County 911 dispatch center for their diligence and professionalism in keeping county residents safe.
Commissioner Angela Harding read Proclamation No. 4 of 2024: Designating April 14th through April 20th, 2024, as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week during the meeting, which was approved unanimously by roll call vote.
Several emergency responders who work for the county attended the meeting and were acknowledged by the commissioners for their work. The commissioners highlighted the critical role of the staff members at the county’s dispatch center and awarded them with a certificate for their service.
Jonathon Plessinger, Director of Clinton County Emergency Services, was present at the meeting and addressed the commissioners. “Thank you again for this proclamation. We all appreciate it and I brought an entourage of first responders that support us on a daily basis every day of the year,” he said.
Lock Haven’s EMS Chief, Gerard Banfill, also spoke at the meeting. He mentioned that the 911 dispatch center has come a long way since the days back when it had a seven-digit phone number. He commended the 911 dispatchers for taking on the duty of answering 911 calls at the emergency services department, adding that it’s comforting to know there are qualified individuals answering calls who understand the urgency and are prepared to resolve the emergency. He emphasized that he and the rest of the EMS responders are committed to providing the staff at the dispatch center with their continued support. “You’ve got a good group this time,” he said. “Myself and the other EMS responders are here for you,” he added.
Banfill also wanted to highlight that students at Central Mountain High School’s Career and Technology Center (CTC) undertook bleeding control training for their senior project, which ties in with what emergency responders do in their field of work. Banfill proudly announced an award that the students received recently, stating, “They won the gold award at the state level, and they are now going on to the national level in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of June to represent Keystone Central and the health and medical group that we’re building here in our county.”
Lamar Township EMS Captain Patrick Steinbacher was also in attendance and spoke about the intensity involved in the work that emergency response workers carry out on a daily basis. He gave an example of an emergency situation that occurred on Monday when a caller reported that they found their neighbor on the ground while he was in cardiac arrest. 911 operators guided the caller through the steps to perform CPR until first responders arrived shortly after with equipment to help the patient. Steinbacher underlined the importance of the dispatch center in the community when it comes to coordinating emergency responses such as this one. “Most people don’t realize what they go through at the [911] center. They don’t just do one call, they do multiple,” he said.
In attendance were several emergency personnel from Lamar Township EMS, Lock Haven EMS, the Clinton County Department of Emergency Services, Dunnstown Fire Company, Mill Hall Fire Company, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, members of the Lock Haven Police Department, and Clinton County 911 dispatchers. “We have a really great representation in the room this morning to honor these folks, and we’re honored to be able to present you with this certificate,” Commissioner Harding said after acknowledging each department.
Emergency Services Director Jonathon Plessinger received special recognition for his recent visit to Central Mountain High School to work with students enrolled in the CTC program. Commissioner Harding read an email from Janelle Miller, who substituted for the class that day and observed Plessinger’s presentation. Miller commended Plessinger in her email for demonstrating various emergency response methods and providing education about the equipment used by the communication center staff to manage 911 calls, as well as giving the students an overview of the Clinton County EMS Department. “He is an asset to our community,” Miller emphasized. Commissioner Harding thanked Plessinger for his leadership and modernization efforts at the Department of Emergency Services, and for ensuring that Clinton County residents receive the best emergency services possible.
In closing, Commissioner Harding expressed her appreciation for Clinton County emergency responders. “Again, I just want to reiterate how much we appreciate our 911 team; everyone from the dispatchers up through administration,” she said. Harding added that she believes it is important to recognize the county’s emergency responders year-round.
