National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

From 9-1-1 emergency call operators and alarm systems to answering other non-emergency forms of communication such as texts, emails and social media contacts, public safety telecommunicators have a lot on the line every day when they show up for work!

As technology rapidly advances and evolves, so do the opportunities for people to come to harm in a range of ways.

One of the important roles of these public safety telecommunicators is to keep abreast of technology to be sure that communities are able to get the help they need when they needs it.

The folks who work in the area of public safety telecommunications dedicate their lives to the protection of those around them and they deserve to be honored and appreciated for their commitment, service and sacrifice. That’s why it is time to celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

History of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW) was started more than 40 years ago. It was founded through the efforts of Patricia Anderson of California in 1981 and has been celebrated annually ever since. In 1994, US President Bill Clinton signed a proclamation naming this as a nationally observed event.

Sometimes the name is shortened Telecommunicator Week, this event spends seven days honoring the personnel who work in the telecommunications arena of the public safety sector.

Public safety telecommunicators have the complicated job of keeping everyone in mind, collaborating across federal, state, local, tribal and territorial agencies.

It’s an important job that deserves some accolades in celebration of this event.

How to Celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Get excited about this event and get creative with ways to celebrate, starting with some of these fun ideas:

Organize Special Events at Work

Managers, supervisors and others who work in, or in tandem with, this sector can spend this week arranging for different small perks that make a big difference in feeling appreciated.

From coffee and donuts in the breakroom to an appreciation awards ceremony, get creative with ways to encourage and say thank you to coworkers and friends on National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Enlist Community Help to Celebrate Telecommunicators

Make a big deal out of it and get the workers from other areas involved in celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week!

Connect with the police officers, firefighters, and EMTs ahead of time, encouraging them to make an extra effort to show appreciation to the dispatchers and others who work in this arena.

Watch a Show about Emergency Dispatchers

Get into the groove of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week by watching some different forms of entertainment that shine a spotlight on those in this line of work.

Take a look at some of these interesting movies to get a (admittedly dramatized) feel for the life of a dispatcher:

• The Guilty (2021) stars Jake Gyllenhall, whose character races to help someone on the other end of a 911 call
• The Call (2013) features Halle Barry who plays a 911 operater working to rescue a kidnapped teenage girl 
• Operator (2015) tells the story of a 911 operator (Mischa Barton) whose daughter and husband are kidnapped and she is the only one who can save them