Written By Destanie Ontiveros, NCT9-1-1 Communications Coordinator
Every year, the second week of April is recognized as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW). This week is designated to celebrate and honor those who dedicate their lives to serving the public in 9-1-1. 9-1-1 telecommunicators act as the first line of communication between citizens and the officers, fire personnel, or paramedics who respond. To show your appreciation this week, you can write thank you cards to 9-1-1, donate food and goods if you have a business, or give a shout out to local 9-1-1 telecommunicators on your social media platforms.
A great way to show your appreciation is by writing a thank you note! A handwritten note thanking your local 9-1-1 telecommunicators is a great gesture of appreciation and celebration. If you have kids at home or in school, this idea will definitely spark their creative side! A handwritten thank you note can be a creative and fun way to express your appreciation during NPSTW! Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs) operate as a family, and every family loves a handmade token of appreciation.
Another way to celebrate your local 9-1-1 ECC is to donate food or goods, if you can! Donating baked goods is a great way to show your appreciation to anyone. Considering 9-1-1 telecommunicators work long shifts, they are more than happy to receive gifts that provide them energy to keep going. At the end of the day, everyone loves something a little sweet!
The easiest way to highlight or honor 9-1-1 telecommunicators is to post about them on your social media. This is a free way to honor and celebrate the hard work 9-1-1 telecommunicators do every day. Using your social media accounts to highlight your local 9-1-1 ECC is a great way to spread appreciation and awareness of the work 9-1-1 telecommunicators do. If you decide to shout out your local 9-1-1 ECC, remember to tag them! Everyone loves receiving a job well done post, especially if it’s coming from the community they serve.
Recognizing the heroes behind the headset is something NCT9-1-1 does regularly. It is important we recognize, honor, and celebrate these amazing first responders. We hope these tips give you some ideas on how to celebrate your 9-1-1 ECC and all the hard work your local 9-1-1 telecommunicators do.