Full Notification

Each year during the second full week of April, we have an opportunity to formally recognize our Public Safety Dispatchers. This year, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is celebrated during the week of April 12th-18th. First introduced in Congress in 1991, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week became public law on March 26, 1992, when signed by the President.

The Montclair Police Department is the “Public Safety Answering Point” for all areas within Montclair’s sphere of influence. The Montclair Police Department’s Communications Division is made up of one supervisor, seven full-time dispatchers, and five part-time dispatchers. All dispatchers are required to complete 120 hours of training prior to, or during their first year of employment, and 24 hours of continued professional training every two years. Dispatchers who successfully pass the first year probationary period become certified “Public Safety Dispatchers” through the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). California’s Public Safety Dispatchers are recognized as true professionals.

Each year, our Communications Division fields nearly 40,000 calls for service. Our dispatchers are ready to handle any type of call from routine requests for information to life or death situations. Public Safety Dispatchers do much more than just answer phones. They provide life saving information to callers, prioritize calls for service, coordinate critical events, and ensure the safety of our officers in the field. Dispatchers are a vital link between emergency responders and those who live, work, and visit Montclair.

The Montclair Police Department is proud of the efforts of our Public Safety Dispatchers and recognizes them for their commitment to the Montclair community.