Recognizing The Heroes That Are The Voices Behind The 911 Call

National Telecommunicators’ Week is April 9-15, 2017. This week is set aside to recognize the dedicated professional men and women that staff emergency communication centers (911 centers) across the country.
These unsung heroes often go unnoticed for their untiring efforts under some of the most stressful situations. They keep callers calm until help arrives, all the while gathering as much information as possible to relay to the emergency responders.

Did you know that Newport News dispatchers answered nearly 320,000 calls in 2016? Of these calls, roughly 116, 000 were wireless 9-1-1 calls and nearly 24,000 were landline 9-1-1 calls. In all cases the dispatchers must remain calm while insuring that they obtain the necessary information for police, fire, and other emergency responders. In addition to receiving calls and dispatching emergency responders, the dispatchers keep track of police officers and firefighters/medics to ensure their safety at all times. The Newport News dispatch center is staffed with three shifts with six to seven dispatchers on duty at a time.

9-1-1 centers across the United States have encountered numerous hurdles when educating the public about 9-1-1 and its uses. During the month of April as part of National 9-1-1 Education Month, the City of Newport News Emergency Communications Center is asking all educational organizations, parents and caregivers to assist with educating as many people as possible about 9-1-1, its uses, its challenges and its future capabilities.