LAPLACE — Teamwork is essential when working in public safety.

Lives often depend on 911 dispatchers, police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians interacting effectively and efficiently.

It’s not just how well one team works together, Sheriff Mike Tregre said, but how well teams from various agencies work together in a coordinated response to deliver quality service in public safety.

To enhance St. John Parish 911 dispatchers’ communication with local firefighters as well as broaden dispatchers’ knowledge of fire services, Cain Dufrene, Chief of Operations for St. John Office of Fire Services, led a training session Tuesday at the central station on Hemlock Street in LaPlace.

Fire protection and other public safety services such as handling hazardous materials and emergency medical aid, as well as firefighting protocol and procedures were discussed.

District Chief Damon Lewis also talked about equipment and apparatus installed on a fire engine during a tour of the central station.

By Angel Thompson, St. John Sheriff’s Office