Vital work done by PoliceLink centre at Tuggerah

As NSW and the nation reeled over the tragic events at Bondi Junction on April 13, first responders at the PoliceLink Centre at Tuggerah answered and triaged more than 300 calls relating to the incident between 3pm and 4pm.

Police Minister and Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley and Member for The Entrance David Mehan visited the centre on Wednesday, April 24, to thank the triple 0 police call-takers and dispatchers for the important work they carry out every day, and particularly on the day of the Bondi Junction Westfield attack.

Many of the calls fielded on April 13 were from people who witnessed the tragic incident.

The first responders played a critical role in receiving this information from the public and facilitating the emergency service response.

PoliceLink Director Kristy Walters said workers at the centre were the key link between the community and the first responders at the scene.

Team Leader Claire Issac said those on shift the afternoon of April 13 responded “amazingly well” considering the pressure they were under and the content of the calls they were dealing with.

“It was quickly apparent we were dealing with something big,” she said.

“There were a lot of jobs for the one location.

“We had eyewitness reports, we had concerns from people who had loved ones in the area.

“It was a mixture of calls we were receiving.

“The real-time information they gathered whilst they were talking to the eyewitnesses and those that were on scene that day made a massive difference and enabled a quick police response.

“For us here on scene at PoliceLink the welfare of the staff who were on shift that day is of the utmost importance to us.

“Once the critical incident was contained, the team leaders on shift and our peer support officers moved into a welfare phase.

“We have mental health clinicians on-site and we have our four-legged friends who are a relatively new introduction to our workplace but have made a massive difference to the morale on shift.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said she wanted to shine a light on the extraordinary work done from the Tuggerah centre.

“These workers interact with the community on the phone when those first calls are made,” she said.

“This is an absolutely critical step in responding to emergencies.

“I want to thank all the hard-working people here for the work they did during the Bondi Junction Westfield attack.

“There were more than 300 calls received within an hour; it was these people who work here in Tuggerah that took these harrowing calls.”

Mehan said he was proud to have the Police Assistance Line Call Centre in his electorate.

The NSW Police Force’s Policelink Command receives up to 1.6 million contacts every year across emergency and non-emergency lines.

This includes triple 0, the Police Assistance Line and Crime Stoppers.

The first responders at PoliceLink answer and triage triple 0 police calls and dispatch the appropriate response.

The operational arm of Crime Stoppers also operates from PoliceLink.

Mental health support is available for PoliceLink call-takers and dispatchers, including a mental health clinician located at the Tuggerah Centre, as part of the PULSE program.

Hebe the Golden Retriever support dog has also recently been introduced to the centre, roaming the floor to offer support to the workers.