April 10-14, 2017 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which will honor the thousands of public safety telecommunicators who work behind the scenes to answer thousands of calls for help every day.
National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (NPSTW) is the time when people from all over the public safety field and beyond, express appreciation for those who make telecommunications work. The week was started by Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) member Patricia Anderson in 1981 in Contra Costa, California and has grown into a national celebration. In 1991, the second full week of April was proclaimed National Public Safety Telecommunications Week by Congress and is celebrated each year by APCO International and public safety communications organizations across the nation.
911 operators and Telecommunicators work 24/7, 365 days year. They work dayshifts and nightshifts, 12 hours per shift. They are in on holidays and weekends, they have missed birthdays and family events. They report to work when we tell everyone else to stay home due to severe weather or emergency situations yet few people think about them day in and day out.
911 Operators and Telecommunicators are rarely seen yet their voices are a welcomed sound. They are the ones who answer, “911, what is your emergency?” They are there when you call for help in the middle of the night and they try to stay on the line with you, offering comfort or support until help arrives.
“Every year during the second week of April, our telecommunications personnel are honored. I would like to personally thank all of our telecommunicators for all their hard work and sacrifices to help us keep the community safe! Your commitment to this profession is appreciated.”
-Chief Dave Newlan
