United States Fire Administration
It’s been a tough year for everyone, including public safety telecommunicators who have played such an essential role during the COVID-19 pandemic. During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2021, take a moment to tell the #HeadsetHeroes who somehow get it all done with patience, compassion and a smile on their face, “thank you!” for their vital contributions to the emergency services.
Activities to honor telecommunicators
“Who is Your Public Safety Hero?” contest
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials hosts a website for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and sponsors a “Who is Your Public Safety Hero?” contest. Your emergency communications center can submit an entry for a telecommunicator you wish to recognize by April 19, 2021. You can also go to the website to vote for your favorite contestants and view the winners.
CPR LifeLinks Celebrating Survivors Toolkit
You can also check out the CPR LifeLinks Celebrating Survivors Toolkit from 911.gov. The toolkit contains suggested activities and resources for honoring those telecommunicators who have helped save the life of someone in cardiac arrest. Some ideas in the toolkit include:
- Hosting a celebratory event uniting the caller, telecommunicator and survivor after recovery from an event.
- Providing a small plaque recognizing the caller and telecommunicator who helped save a life by working together to perform CPR before EMS arrived.
- Sharing “save stories” with staff and the media about each saved life that a telecommunicator helped initiate.
911 educational resources
April is also National 911 Education Month. There are many educational resources available to educate the public about 911 services from NENA, the 9-1-1 Association, and from Know911.org, a clearinghouse of 911 educational resources created by the National Association of State 911 Administrators.
