Celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 14-20

Escambia County encourages residents to join in observing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, recognized by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) each year on the second week of April. From April 14-20, telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are being honored and celebrated for their service and dedication to their community.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week celebrates the dedication and hard work of the men and women who serve as emergency dispatchers, 9-1-1 call-takers, radio and phone technicians and other communication experts.

The men and women of Escambia County Emergency Communications are behind the scenes, yet they are the "First Voice On-Scene" during an emergency. They work round the clock answering thousands of 9-1-1 calls per month providing life-saving instructions that include CPR, choking, childbirth, airway control, bleeding control, ASA diagnostics and many more. Emergency Communications sends and coordinates first responders and works tirelessly in support of the missions of Public Safety as a whole.

"Each and every day, the men and women of Emergency Communications stand by ready to take your call and be that 'first voice on-scene,'" said Emergency Communications Chief Andrew Hamilton. "National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week serves as an excellent opportunity to highlight our incredible staff, the service they provide for the residents and visitors of Escambia County, and shines a light on the complex nature of being an emergency dispatcher. It's an honor and a privilege to serve alongside this group of professionals, and we applaud them for their commitment and service to Escambia County."

Escambia County has produced a short video that features a few of the experiences shared by Emergency Communications' employees. The video can be viewed here.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (NPSTW) was originally established by Patricia Anderson who was a dispatcher in Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in California in 1981. In 1994, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was signed into law by President Bill Clinton and became a nationally celebrated event.