April 10th marks the start of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It’s a time to appreciate the operators who answer 911 calls.

Manesa Dhanabalan spent the day with Halton Police Communicators who provided a glimpse into what it’s like answering the calls of people who are in desperate need of help.

The operators work 12-hour shifts and typically take about 600-650 calls per day. They sound calm on the phone but many don’t realize it’s a stressful job. Even with challenges, many of them say their drive is to help people in the community.