Bridgeport, CT – Today, Mayor Ganim visited the City of Bridgeport’s Emergency Operations Center and presented a proclamation for National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.

In recognizing the women and men of the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center, today was also a celebration of the grand opening of the Bridgeport Hospital ECOC Wellness and Decompress Rooms made possible from a donation by Yale New Haven Bridgeport Hospital.

“The amount of stress that our dispatchers experience never goes unnoticed. We are thankful for the donation from Yale New Haven Bridgeport Hospital,” stated Scott Appleby, Director of the Emergency Operations Center. “We strive to encourage our employees to maintain their mental and physical health and find ways to manage their stress, in and out of the workplace.”

The Wellness and Decompress rooms are both suited with equipment that employees can use to help relieve their midday stress while on the job. Employees will have access to Nordic Track exercise equipment along with access to a quieter space that includes massage chairs, mindfulness tools and materials, and atmospheric sounds from a stone fountain.

Mayor Ganim stated, “The employees at our Emergency Operations Center are all extremely important to us; they work on the frontlines every day to ensure the wellness and safety of our community. I would like to thank each and every one of the employees for dedicating themselves to something that’s incredibly significant to our City.”