Show appreciation for those who answer 911 calls, the “first, first responders,” during Public Safety Telecommunicator Week in April. PSAP administrators; police, fire and EMS members; and the general public are all urged to thank 911 call center professionals for their contributions to the health and safety of their communities. Here are a few ideas for how you can celebrate in your community.
Host a PSAP open house and give the community a closer look at the public safety system and the people on the receiving end of the 911 call. Be sure to invite your elected officials and the media.
Recognize public safety telecommunicators with a proclamation by a prominent local or state official. (A sample is provided in the National 911 Education Coalition toolkit.)
- Celebrate with food! Enlist the help of police, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, who can order pizzas, have a potluck or cater a lunch for each shift. Or celebrate with special desserts or even a cookout for employees and their families.
- Recognize a dispatcher who helped save a life with dispatcher-assisted CPR. Share the story with the media, particularly if the person who was saved is willing to participate in interviews.
- Create a “dispatcher of the year” award and host an annual dinner to announce the winner and honor all dispatchers.
