At the 2025 9-1-1 Awards Gala, the energy in the room was energetic and powerful, not just from the celebration of 9-1-1 excellence, but from the powerful and deeply personal opening remarks delivered by Texas State Representative Mihaela E. Plesa. Her words set the tone for the evening, inspiring hope for the future and reminding attendees of the greatness all in attendance were there to celebrate.
“It is my privilege and heartfelt honor to welcome you to this year’s NCT 9-1-1 Awards Gala—a night dedicated to the unsung heroes behind every emergency,” Rep. Plesa began, addressing the crowd of 9-1-1 telecommunicators, their friends, and their families.
Rep. Plesa’s speech was more than a formality, it stood as a tribute, an advocacy statement, and a thank-you rooted in lived experience. She shared her own childhood memory of calling 9-1-1 for her mother after a frightening fall. “I’ll never forget it,” she said. “The voice on the other end said, ‘Your mom will be fine. The paramedics are there—just go and open the door.’ And just like that… everything felt okay again.”
That single moment of calm in chaos became the foundation of her appreciation for 9-1-1 telecommunicators, a theme she carried throughout her speech.
“You are the First, First Responders,” she emphasized. “It’s time our laws recognized that.”
Rep. Plesa also passionately called for legislative and budgetary action, noting that gratitude alone is not enough. “We must fight for you where it counts: in our laws, in our budgets, and in our policies.”
Rep. Plesa spotlighted specific moments of heroism, like the work of dispatcher Courtney Cox, who saved a domestic violence victim unable to speak, and Meagan McDowell, who walked a caller through CPR as her husband suffered a heart attack. “Because of her patience, her training, and her access to the best tools and technology, that man survived,” Plesa said. “His family still has a husband, a father, a friend.”
But perhaps her most powerful statement of the night was this:
“Your voices are steady when others tremble. Your minds are sharp when others freeze. Your compassion shines when the world goes dark.”
Rep. Plesa closed with a promise: “As your state representative, as your voice at the State Capitol, I will not stop fighting to make your work seen, to make your service honored, and to make your role recognized in law.”
The 9-1-1 Awards Gala continued with the celebration of award winners, trying our luck at the casino tables, striking poses at the photobooth, winning fun prizes, and dancing the night away.