Newtown dispatchers honored for services

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Staff members at the Newtown Emergency Communications Center are being honored for their work on the day of the school shooting in which 26 people were killed.

The employees are being presented with the Outstanding 911 Call Center Award at an event Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C. The presentation is to be made by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty.

Angel Arocho is chairman of the nonprofit NG9-1-1 Institute that is among the groups honoring the Newtown center. He says the workers helped emergency personnel to act quickly and reunite parents with frightened children.

The 20-year-old gunman killed his mother inside their Newtown home before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he killed 20 first-graders and six staff members. He then committed suicide.