Hawaii County police dispatchers were recognized Tuesday in honor of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

At a luncheon, Deputy Chief Paul Ferreira thanked the dispatchers and presented "Dispatcher of the Quarter" certificates for 2009 to:

• Keven Lee, for his handling and coordinating of calls during heavy flooding in the Kohala area on Feb. 11.

• Loralee Haskell, for consistent and reliable work, her willingness to help co-workers and her pleasant disposition.

• Ursula Milare-Sambrana, for her handling of a rape call that helped lead to the arrest of a suspect.

• Sabrina Hartz, for her work at the Puna console during a standoff with an armed and barricaded suspect on Dec. 16.

The Big Island's dispatch center screens all 911 calls, which average 10,000 a month. Of those, 85 percent are intended for police and 15 percent for the fire department.