Illinois Tollway Celebrates National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Illinois Tollway public safety telecommunicators are often called the “first” first responders.
They’re the ones who answer 911 calls for emergency assistance, making them a critical first point of contact when anyone is in urgent need on the Illinois Tollway.
“We are grateful to our outstanding team of public safety telecommunicators, who are vital to the Tollway’s mission to provide safe, efficient travel for customers,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “Calm, confident and compassionate, they are the unsung heroes in headsets who serve as a fundamental link between motorists in need of assistance and our Roadway Maintenance crews, police officers, firefighters and paramedics in emergency situations.”
The Illinois Tollway each year recognizes and celebrates its telecommunicators for their important contributions to public safety on its roadways and in the communities it serves as part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which runs this year on April 14-20.
Illinois Tollway Dispatch employs approximately 24 public safety telecommunicators and call takers responsible for providing reliable emergency communications 24/7/365 for Roadway Maintenance and other first responders.
Telecommunicators answer calls relayed from local 911 centers and work in close coordination with the Tollway Traffic Operations Center to communicate information to frontline responders.
Last year, Tollway telecommunicators handled more than 150,000 calls for assistance, from helping motorists involved in crashes, to medical situations to traffic stops and roadway maintenance. Tollway Dispatch handle calls from throughout the 12 counties the Tollway services, making it one of the busiest emergency dispatch centers in Illinois.