Letter to the Editor

Untrue and an insult

Teamsters Local 25 is proud to represent the Chelsea 911 Dispatchers.  These dedicated men and women answer more than 50,000 emergency assistance calls a year and work in collaboration with police, firefighters, and EMS to keep those that live and work in Chelsea safe. Our members are hardworking, well trained, committed to their community, and take their jobs seriously. These union members are critical to first responders, and their actions save lives and minimize human suffering.  They always deserve praise and admiration.

That’s why it was so disappointing to see them publicly blamed in a recent edition of the Chelsea Record (Chief: Chelsea Dispatch Erred in Accident on Mystic/Tobin, April 6, 2018). The story incorrectly states that “the failure of Chelsea Fire apparatus to be dispatched to a serious motor vehicle accident with an ejection on the southbound Mystic/Tobin Bridge is being blamed on dispatch error.” This is untrue and an insult to these workers who are often overlooked.

The Fire Chief’s claim that Chelsea crews did not make it to the scene due to dispatch error is simply not true and deserves an explanation. Boston clearly communicated that it was responding to that location because it made the most sense. Boston handled the call in Boston, and this was also handled properly by Chelsea dispatchers, who worked seamlessly with Boston the entire time.

Chelsea is the smallest city in Massachusetts but has an extremely high call volume, the 14th busiest in the state. Our dispatchers work in a very busy and high stress environment, often coordinating multiple crews at once. Teamsters Local 25 is proud of these workers and will always stand proud to support them.

Sean M. O’Brien

President of Teamsters Local 25

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *