By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — A permanent Veterans Committee was created on Thursday, April 7, to provide for the health and well-being of Veterans living in the city of Trussville, and the council recognized public safety dispatchers for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
“The City and its citizens are deeply indebted and eternally grateful to all Veterans and their respective families for their sacrifice and service in defending the United States of America,” Councilmember Jaime Anderson said.
The city recognizes the physical, mental, and emotional toll that service in the United States Armed Forces takes on the Veteran and his or her family, and because of this service, the ever-growing and increasing need to connect Veterans and their families with resources and services to encourage and support Veterans and their families in Trussville.
In appreciation and honor of Trussville’s Veterans’ service to this county, the city council finds it in the best interest of its citizens to create and form this committee which shall serve to advise the city and the city council on issues that Veterans face as well as promote and connect these Veterans and their families with valuable resources to provide for the health of and promote the prosperity, order, comfort, and convenience of Veterans and their families residing in the city and provide an avenue for public involvement and support.
This advisory committee shall serve to advise the city and its citizens as follows:
- Review and identify the available resources to Veterans and recommended ways to strengthen services in the community, including the promotion of collaboration among the service providers;
- Serve as a source of assistance and information for the resources and services within the city and the surrounding areas that are available to Veterans and families of Veterans;
- Provide awareness among the community of Veteran’s full potential and the importance of Veteran’s contributions to the development and sustainability of our community;
- Effectively communicate with the city council, the mayor, and the citizens of Trussville to highlight programs, resources, services, and other relevant information that is beneficial to the city’s Veterans and its citizens; and
- Any other purpose directed by the city council to the committee or otherwise provided for by law.
The committee’s membership will consist of five citizens who reside within the corporate limits of Trussville. To be eligible to serve on the committee, the individual must be a Veteran of any branch of the United States Armed Forces with an honorable discharge or a parent or spouse of a Veteran that served in any branch of the United States armed forces with an honorable discharge. The term of each member shall be staggered four-year terms.
Trussville declared the week of April 10-16, 2022, and every 2nd full week in April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. In 1994 President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Proclamation 6667, declaring the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
The City of Trussville employs full-time public safety dispatchers, and its dispatchers serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week, just the same as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services workers.
The proclamation states, Trusvville dispatchers courageously answer or provide critical and necessary services that enable the answering of, 911 emergency calls around the clock, many of which involve emergency medical dispatch and potentially lifesaving instructions including CPR, instructing callers on staying safe in the most difficult situations, and helping callers to safety during disasters all while simultaneously dispatching law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical services to said emergency situations for callers.
Dispatchers often suffer from PTSD, although they are not physically on the scene, by answering, or providing critical and necessary services that enable the answering of, multiple traumatic calls, banding successful radio incidents, and communicating with people in distress, afraid, or injured.
First Responder means a public safety employee whose duties include responding to an emergency or accident to provide assistance. The City of Trussville unequivocally recognizes our dispatchers as First Responders, just like the Jefferson County 911 Emergency Communications District does for theirs.
The Trussville City Council also thanked Pat Glenn for her outstanding and continued service to our community through her work on the Trussville Cemetery Authority for the past year. She provided critical continuity during the transition to city management.
The Trussville Memorial Cemetery Association was officially formed in 1964 to oversee and care for Trussville’s two historic cemeteries, and Glenn first joined the association in 1979 and served as a member of the Trussville Cemetery Association for over four decades.
Glenn was elected as secretary and served in various roles throughout the years, covering both Mt. Nebo and the Baptist Cemetery, and with her husband, Gene, they personally answered calls – at all hours, night and day – for plots, maintenance and upkeep of both cemeteries.
“Pat Glenn kept and preserved historic records of burial deeds and plot maps,” Anderson said. “Glenn has been selfless with her time and resources over many decades to provide comfort and care to friends, neighbors, and strangers, during their greatest hour of need.”
Glenn graciously agreed to serve on the newly formed Trussville Cemetery Authority for the past year and provided critical continuity during the transition to city management
“We regard her many years of dedication as a labor of love to preserve our historic cemeteries and are truly grateful for her time and talents,” Anderson said.
In other matters, the Council approved:
- Proclamations, Ordinances, Resolutions, Orders & other business;
- Proclamation Recognizing Public Safety Dispatchers as First Responders;
- Proclamation Honoring the Hewitt-Trussville Middle School Wrestling Team;
- Proclamation Designating April 2022 as National Donate Life Month;
- Proclamation Designating April 2022 as Child Abuse Prevention Month;
- Ordinance to Amend Business License Tax Schedule T;
- Ordinance to Establish City Veterans Committee;
- Resolution to Vacate a Public Right-of-Way at 3121 & 3141 Queenstown Road;
- Reappoint Dianne Dempsey to the Historical Board, term expiring April 5, 2026;
- Approve a one-step raise for Police Officers Jordan Arrington and Matthew Hensley, effective April 23, 2022, for completing the Police Academy;
- Approve 10 percent education premium for Police Officer Jordan Arrington, effective April 23, 2022; and
- Promote Chief Buildings Inspection Officer JR Malchus to Director of Planning, Building & Sustainability (Grade 30 – Step 7), effective April 9, 2022.
Auditing accounts
- Accounts Payable;
- Interdiction Mastermind (Street Cop Training) online course over April for Police Cpl. Casey Shelnutt. $249 registration fee;
- Building Tactical Command Competency on July 22, 2022, for Police Lt. Richard Lovell. $25 registration fee;
- Southeast Collision Reconstruction Conference for Police Sgt. Joseph Dunn; Officers Casey Davis, Tony Armstrong, and Stan Kennedy. July 24-29 in Charleston, SC. $1,350 registration fees plus accommodations; and
- Detective & Investigator Seminar for Police Sgt. Keith Rosetta. Sept. 12-16 in Gatlinburg, Tenn. $550 registration fee plus accommodations.
The next Council regular scheduled meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, beginning at 6 p.m.