Police and fire departments across New Jersey honored their dispatchers on Thursday.

In Paterson, 52 911 call center workers were honored for being the first line of defense when it comes to responding to emergencies. Those dispatchers take in more than 250,000 calls per year.

"We pride on taking care of the citizens and residents of the city of Paterson, as well as our men and women that are out there fighting for us every single day and fighting for you,” says Letitia Howe, chief operator for the Office of Emergency Management.

Dispatcher Joyce Pierce was honored posthumously. She dedicated 26 years to emergency response in Paterson.