KANNAPOLIS — The city of Kannapolis Police and Fire departments have recognized telecommunicators who’ve handled thousands of emergencies each year within the city and surrounding areas. April 12-18 is National Telecommunicator Week, a statement said.

“Sometimes we overlook the importance of our communications center. The are the initial lifeline for the public when they are in distress and supply our officers and firefighters with vital information in the field during life and death situations with no margin of error,” Police Chief Woody Chavis said.

He said they handle stressful situations, including communicating with distraught and irate citizens with compassion and professionalism, on a daily basis.

In 2014, the Kannapolis Police Department telecommunicators maintained an outstanding record answering 99.3 percent of the 911 emergency calls within an average of three seconds or less. They dispatched 53,139 calls for service and handled 13,306 E-911 calls and 80,006 non-emergency calls.

Telecommunicators are also responsible for entering all items with identifiable markings, wanted people and missing people into the National Crime Information Center database.

The following telecommunicators were recognized:

• Becky Patterson, shift supervisor, 28 years

• Myra Wallace, shift supervisor, 21 years

• Heather Clay, shift supervisor, 8 years

• Haley Flesher, shift supervisor, 4 years

• Jason Goodman, telecommunicator, 12 years (KPD), 14 years overall

• Susan Martin, telecommunicator, 12 years

• Johnny Caudle, telecommunicator, 8 years (KPD), 13 years overall

• Hollie Morton, telecommunicator, 4 years

• Angela Yates, telecommunicator, 9 years (KPD), 13 years overall

• Lauren Felock, telecommunicator, 3 years

• Candice Ponder, telecommunicator, 3 years

• Erin Broadway, telecommunicator, 2 years (KPD) 7 years overall

• Joanne Dewyea, telecommunicator, 2 years

• Heather Wagner, telecommunicator, 1 year

• Shari Whiting, telecommunicator, 1 year