Happy National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week!

April 10 – April 16

For over 54 years, the dedicated women, and men in communication centers all over the country have answered the calls for help placed to 911. Collectively, they do this over 200 million times each year, or 550,000 times per day. During the most stressful moments, telecommunicators become a beacon of life for so many.  

The calls they answer reflect a wide gambit of incidents. Ranging from the entertaining, yet inappropriate reports of incorrect fast-food orders that bring a little levity to a stressful occupation, all the way to active shooting incidents and homicides. The varying types of calls telecommunicators are responsible for handling is only surpassed by the number of CAD incident codes they need to remember.  

Telecommunicators who answer these calls work solo or as part of a team. They are entrusted to save lives and remain calm, cool, and compassionate amid a crisis. They often work 8, 10, or 12 hours a day all year long, and forgo holidays and time spent with family and friends. They show up every day to serve the public in times of distress and navigate a myriad of scenarios every time they answer a call.  

It took a long time, but telecommunicators were finally given recognition with the formal declaration of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in 1991. We hope that every agency recognizes April 10th through April 16th as a time to celebrate and honor yourselves, your co-workers, your bosses, and your employees.  

For decades, PowerPhone has proudly provided software and training to the 911 professionals that help keep us safe, to help ensure they can do the work that is asked of them. Not just this week, but throughout the year, we recognize your dedication and the sacrifices made to be our first, first responders.  

Thank you for all that you do. We see you. We hear you.