Many of you reading are probably familiar with “The Thin Blue Line” representing law enforcement and maybe even “The Thin Red Line” representing the fire department. Fewer are probably aware of “The Thin White Line” that represents emergency medical services, but I imagine even a smaller percentage are aware of “The Thin Gold Line” that holds all the others together.

The following has been provided by a former Pickens County 911 dispatcher, and just as they served behind the scenes and unseen, that is how they requested to remain.

“The Thin Gold Line represents an emergency telecommunicator, also known as a 911 dispatcher or a 911 call taker. Agencies may have different titles for these types of positions due to a person’s role in a communications center. For example, in some agencies a person can be both a 911 dispatcher and a 911 call taker. This is where an individual has the capability and training to answer a 911 emergency call and then notify (dispatch) first responders to the caller’s location. In larger agencies, there is usually a designated 911 call taker and a 911 dispatcher, which means the

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