Public safety dispatchers are critical in keeping the community safe. Receiving certification beyond their immediate duties can help them become even more effective links between citizens in need and local first responders.

It's important to never forget the major contributions dispatchers make to emergency response efforts, despite the fact that they remain behind the scenes. The pressure and trauma of public safety work have a powerful effect on these professionals.

When small, adjacent cities each run their own emergency dispatch centers, it can be difficult to coordinate public safety on a regional level. It's also expensive.

But in the metro Boston area, some cities are teaming up to consolidate their emergency response centers. For the past several years, the cities of Somerville, Medford and Melrose have been working on a plan to create one regional dispatch center that will serve them all. The agreement is almost ready to be finalized.

In an emergency, every second counts. But in far-flung rural areas, it can be difficult for first responders to reach their destinations in time.

Though municipal governments do their best to deploy emergency responders in a manner that gives them the maximum possible reach, tight budgets often leaves these crews understaffed. Public safety standards inevitably suffer as a result.

What difference does 30 seconds make? During an emergency response situation, it can mean everything.

For stroke patients, a 30-second delay in care means potential brain damage. For those who have sustained a traumatic injury, an extra 30 seconds could lead to a worse chance of recovery.

The National Fire Protection Association has set a standard of four minutes or less between the time a fire is reported and when firefighters arrive on the scene.