The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office celebrated its dispatchers all week for a job that requires a calm attitude and complete focus.

Whether it’s recognizing panic in the voice of a police officer who needs help or convincing someone over the phone that life is worth living, the people in the department save lives every day and work on the front lines of public safety.

Rockland County Sheriff’s Office communications specialist Teresa Hamilton is a 15-year veteran with the department.

"It's tough, you know, because I live in the community. I live here, so any day it could be someone I know that I'm answering that phone for,” she says.