PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Dispatchers in Centre and Blair County are in need of more employees, but the issue is not limited to the local area.

During the Centre County Board of Commissioners’ April 16 meeting, they proclaimed the week of April 14-20 as 911 Dispatchers Week.

“It’s our pleasure and honor to proclaim this week as yours,” Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem said while speaking to a group of dispatchers.

Blair County’s dispatch office also celebrated National Public Safety Telecommunications Week by decorating the workspace and providing gifts for the workers.

“The dispatchers are the unsung heroes,” Susan Ammerman, 911 coordinator, said.

As with any profession, working in the dispatch industry brings its own set of challenges. Currently, dispatch offices across the country are facing workforce shortages.

“The workforce just isn’t there,” Ammerman said.

According to WBRE/WYOU, Schuylkill County has also been facing the same issue, showing that the wider Pa. region is in need of more dispatch workers.

Taking a look beyond Pa., the Associated Press reports that out of 850 dispatch workers interviewed in a study, 75% said that the high stress of the job was the main deterrent for bringing in new faces, while 65% said that the low pay also did not help.

Back in Centre County, the dispatch group said they currently have 11 workers, but would want 17. The only way those numbers will go up is if members of the community step up to do the job.

Even with the dwindling numbers of employees, that did not stop the celebrations in Centre County. The commissioners showed their appreciation for the “unsung heroes” of emergency situations.

“It’s an exciting job and you really help people,” Mark Higgins, chair of the board, said.