National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week was first conceived by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County
(Calif.) Sheriff’s Office in 1981 and was quickly adopted in Virginia and North Carolina. By the 1990s, the national association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) convinced Congress of the need for a formal proclamation.
In 1994, “National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week” was formally recognized and is celebrated each year during the second full week of April to coincide with National 9-1-1 Education Month.
A great way to help spread the word and celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicator week is to share ideas and resources with 911 centers across the country. If you have resources you are willing to share, please click on the link below to submit them and we’ll share them on this site!
In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 9-15, 2023, the 911 community encourages you to honor the telecommunicators who help our communities every day.
Launched in April 2021, the 911 Telecommunicator Tree of Life website provides an easy and visual way to recognize the dedication, commitment, and impact of 911 dispatchers. The “tree of life” concept has been used in 911 call centers nationwide to celebrate successes, with a new “leaf” recognizing the lives impacted through quick dispatching of public safety help or calm instructions about how to tie a tourniquet, provide CPR, or even deliver a baby.
Join the effort and recognize a deserving 911 telecommunicator by adding a “leaf” to the Tree of Life in their honor:
- Visit the 911 Telecommunicator Tree of Life website and select Add a Leaf
- Enter the 911 telecommunicator’s name and PSAP
- Submit your information and be sure to alert the person you recognized that they will join many of their colleagues being honored in this national tribute
There is no limit to the number of telecommunicators you can recognize, so honor a telecommunicator today! If you have any questions or need assistance, please email executivedirector@ng911institute.org.
Ideas in Action
Washtenaw County, Michigan Telecommunicator Week is celebrated with a luncheon for all shifts. Staff in Washtenaw County also receives group and individual certificates, recognizing their service.
The State of Michigan has also recognized the dispatch center with a letter that is kept on display.
Spring Tremaine
Metro Dispatch Manager
Washtenaw County, Michigan
York County 911
A week of fun activities, theme days, food and games is how Telecommunicator Week is celebrated in York County. The directors and deputy directors typically provide a meal for each shift.
Local schools join Telecommunicator Week by participating in a poster contest, with the winning poster on display. The week ends with an award ceremony recognizing the Telecommunicator of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and Admin
Support Person of the Year.
Amy Smith
York County 911
York, Pennsylvania
Palm Beach County Emergency Management/9-1-1 Division
Palm Beach County Emergency Management/9-1-1 Division recognizes this week every year. In some years past, they have been awarded a proclamation from the Board of County Commissioners. The week kicks off with a bowling fundraiser that supports the TAF which has over 50 teams from PSAPs all over Palm Beach County. Last year, the division started a mini-conference that offers complimentary training classes for all Palm Beach County dispatchers in the region’s 19 PSAPs.
The Fire Rescue dispatchers, who work in the same building, join the week by signing a shared poster with the telecommunicators.
Cheryl Griffin
Palm Beach County Emergency Management/9-1-1 Division
Palm Beach County, FL
Scottsdale Police Department
Telecommunicator Week is celebrated in the Scottsdale Police Department with a week of fun games, prizes, and meals. On the first day of Telecom Week, the supervisors staff the call center for a few hours while the staff attends a local celebratory event, such as an awards dinner or picnic.
The department also gives out awards, voted on by peers, such as Dispatcher of the Year and Trainer of the Year.
Kim Nguyen
Scottsdale Police Department
Scottsdale, Arizona