Lake Oswego Recognizes 911 Telecommunicators As First Responders

LAKE OSWEGO – On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, the Lake Oswego City Council issued a proclamation elevating Lake Oswego Communications (LOCOM) Emergency Telecommunicators to the status of First Responders.

The City of Lake Oswego provides 911 services to the cities of West Linn, Milwaukie, and Lake Oswego. Each of those jurisdictions already considers LOCOM Telecommunicators the “first, first responders.” All Emergency Telecommunicators within Lake Oswego are trained in emergency medical dispatch, qualifying them to offer a variety of potentially lifesaving instructions including CPR, bleeding control, choking, childbirth, and airway maintenance over the telephone. In 2019, these technically skilled staff members gave medical guidance to over 2,400 callers and triaged 31 cardiac arrest calls, providing CPR instructions to people in our community.

This year, LOCOM Emergency Telecommunicators have navigated changes related to COVID-19 and managed calls related to the Clackamas County wildfires, all while continuing to handle fire, police, and emergency medical calls. We are incredibly proud of the work our Emergency Telecommunicators do every day for our communities and are thankful that the Lake Oswego City Council has recognized that work. LOCOM Emergency Telecommunicators now join the 911 Telecommunicators who work at Clackamas Communications (C-COM) in this designation, ensuring all Emergency Telecommunicators within Clackamas County are equally recognized.

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