By Laura French

This year’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was celebrated by agencies across the country this week to honor the service and dedication of the nation’s “first first responders.” 

Beginning on April 11, agencies from every section of the public safety community flooded social media with the “thin gold line” and highlighted the dispatchers and 911 operators who offer the crucial first lifeline in any emergency. Fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies shared photos of their “headset heroes” to shine a light on the achievements of first responders who aren’t usually in the public’s view. 

To further highlight the impact of public safety telecommunications, multiple 911 agencies and groups promoted the 911 Telecommunicator Tree of Life campaign, which accepts submissions of stories demonstrating the difference telecommunicators have made in their communities. The Tree of Life is an ongoing project that adds on “leaves” representing commended dispatchers every month, and was organized through a collaboration between the Next Generation 911 Institute, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO0, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), the U.S. Department of Defense and the National 911 Office. 

See more examples of how agencies recognized National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2021 below:

Our communications center received a great addition today just in time for #TelecommunicatorsWeek! Our members will see this every time they go upstairs to take 911 calls and help serve our community. We are so happy with how this turned out! pic.twitter.com/TQK3rWRUEP
— Kissimmee Police (@kissimmeepolice) April 13, 2021

This week is #TelecommunicatorsWeek! We’ll be highlighting the work of some of Georgia’s telecommunicators. First is Raven McMinn of Camden County 911. Recently, Raven received a Life Saving Award after deescalating a situation with a caller that was planning to take their life. pic.twitter.com/PkOiZ0jfn9
— Georgia EM&HS (@GeorgiaEMAHS) April 12, 2021

The role of the 911 dispatcher has evolved over the years from that of basically a clerical position to one that involves life-saving measures and knowledge. A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House last week would reclassify public safety dispatchers from...

By Laura French

WASHINGTON — The National 911 Program has published a new resource for dispatchers to better understand Next Generation 911 (NG911) and what to expect as their communications centers make the transition. 

“NG911 for Telecommunicators” includes a plain language explanation of what NG911 is and isn’t, information on the changes and benefits NG911 might bring to a dispatcher’s job, advice on how 911 professionals can get involved in the NG911 transition at their center and how to stay updated on the progress of NG911 implementation, according to the National 911 Program. The resource also includes advice on self-care and wellness for public safety telecommunicators. 

“This publication explains NG911 in clear, non-technical language to give you a better sense of how the transition might take place at your center,” National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) Executive Director Harriet Rennie-Brown said in a statement. “Like any big change, this one won’t be easy or fast. But it is necessary.” 

The National 911 Program has previously published resources for fire, EMS and law enforcement leaders to better understand the benefits of NG911 implementation. The latest publication emphasizes the essential role of telecommunicators in the successful implementation of NG911 networks. 

“It’s telecommunicators — not the technology — that are the most precious resource,” stated Lee Ann Magoski, ENP, the director of emergency communications in Monterey County, California. “It’s not next generation that makes 911 work, it’s the dispatchers that are doing the job, day in and day out.”