Wood County Commissioners Jim Hamric, Jimmy Colombo and Blair Couch during their regular Thursday meeting where they passed a proclamation honoring local emergency telecommunicators and designating April 12-18, 2026 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Commission is honoring local emergency telecommunicators and the work they do as the first point of contact during emergencies.

The commission unanimously has designated April 12-18 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Commission President Blair Couch said.

“Emergencies can occur at any time that require law enforcement, fire or emergency medical services,” Couch read from the proclamation. “When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS providers is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property.”

The safety of local law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS providers depends on the quality and accuracy of information obtained from those who contact the Wood County 911 Center, officials said.

“Public safety telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services,” Couch read. “Public safety telecommunicators are the single vital link for our law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS providers by monitoring their activities by radio, providing them information and ensuring their safety.”

Telecommunicators are critical in improving the chance of survival for patients who experience sudden cardiac arrest by recognizing the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other lifesaving interventions before the arrival of EMS, Couch said. The telecommunicators at the Wood County 911 Center have also contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires and treatment of patients, he added.

“Each telecommunicator has exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year,” Couch read.

In other business, the commission is looking at building permits to see what is being done in the area.

Wood County Assessor John Kelly said his office gets building permits from Parkersburg, Vienna and Williamstown as well as from the county’s compliance officer. The only place they aren’t getting them is from the town of North Hills, he said.

Wood County Compliance Officer Levi Brady said city councils approve building permits. Officials want to see if there are permits being issued in North Hills so the assessor’s office would be able to use those in their work to assess properties and adjust property assessments.

In other business:

* The county opened bids for demolition and cleanup of a structure at 190 Valley Mills Road, Parkersburg. The bids included Ace Everything of Spencer for $9,600; JC Bosley of Parkersburg for $8,200; Empire Builders of Parkersburg for $8,200; and Tim Graham Excavating for $6,000. The commission voted unanimously to accept the bids and send them to Brady for review and a recommendation.

* The county opened bids for demolition and cleanup of a structure at 402 Dickens Drive, Mineral Wells. The bids included Ace Everything of Spencer for $7,350; Empire Builders of Parkersburg for $6,200; JC Bosley of Parkersburg for $12,700; and Tim Graham Excavating for $7,500. The commission voted unanimously to accept the bids and send them to Brady.

* Commissioners are calling on local eighth-grade students to write a 500-word essay on the subject of “A Day in the Life of a County Commissioner” as part of an effort of the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia to promote student engagement through statewide essay and art contests.

Students in sixth through eighth grades can create artwork that highlights something in Wood County funded or supported by the county commission, parks, events, services and more.

For more information, people can go to www.ccawv.org.

The deadline for both contests is April 22.

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com