APCO President Richard Mirgon kicked off APCO's press conference and NPSTW 2010 activities.

Every year, one week in April is dedicated to honoring the voices at the other end of an emergency call to 9-1-1 — our telecommunicators and other public safety communications professionals. APCO International has supported National Public Safety Telecommunications Week since it was adopted by Congress in 1999. APCO proudly and formally kicked off the 2010 events on April 12 with a press conference at the New Castle County (Del.) Police headquarters.

APCO President Richard Mirgon welcomed the attendees. The crowd included public safety and Delaware State and local officials, and APCO International Executive Committee members. He then introduced the event’s speakers, beginning with APCO President-Elect Bill Carrow.

Carrow, who is also communications section chief for the Delaware State Police, said, “This week, sponsored by APCO International, recognized by Congress and celebrated annually across the nation, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render lifesaving assistance to the citizens of the United States.

“As we all know, emergencies can occur at any time, requiring police, fire or emergency medical services. When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and the preservation of property. The safety of our police officers and firefighters is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens who call 9-1-1.”

He continued, “Public safety telecommunicators, including not only those who answer the phone and dispatch emergency services, but all of the people who participate in the supply, construction and maintenance of the system, are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services.”

After Carrow concluded his remarks, Delaware Lt. Governor Matthew Denn spoke, expressing how proud Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell and he were of Carrow for becoming APCO’s next president — the first ever from the state of Delaware. He presented a proclamation from Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell in recognition of the week. It states, “We urge all citizen to congratulate the recipients of the Telecommunications Awards and to applaud the many telecommunications professionals for the service they provide our state, region and nation.”

New Castle County Executive Chris Coons also took the podium, pointing out the success of the RECOM 9-1-1 Center, which is a joint center between New Castle County police, fire and EMS and the Delaware State Police. He said, “In this past year, out of this agency along, 430, 000 incoming emergency calls and another 87, 000 non-emergency calls were handled. That’s literally one call per minute, per hour each and every day all year.”

After the press conference, attendees toured the comm center. Other officials in attendance included Del. Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Lewis Schilliro and APCO International Immediate Past President Chris Fischer.

Across the Nation
All week (April 11-17) organizations throughout the U.S. have held banquets and award ceremonies to acknowledge public safety communications professionals. Local news organizations have also reported on the successes of their local comm centers and shared the agencies’ histories with their communities.A few celebrations:

The New Castle (Wyo.) Police Department had fun decorating the agency’s windows with the phrase, “Who you gonna call when you have a problem? 911.”

In Riverside County, Calif., three local communications agencies, the North Bay Police, Fire and EMS Comm Center, North Bay Central Ambulance Communications Center and the Ontario Provincial Police Communications Center, celebrated with a joint social evening on April 14.

Greenwood County (S.C.) E9-1-1 Communications marked the week by giving back to the local community. The small staff of 25 telecommunicators held a food drive for the local soup kitchen and created care packages for local nursing homes.

In Paulding County, Ohio, the County Board of Commissioners and Chairman David Austin issued a proclamation to commemorate NPSTW.

This week has also been a vehicle of remembrance for Hanover (N.H.) Regional Communications Center. On April 13, the agency commemorated the late Ron Edson for his 23 years of service with a memorial plaque. It states, “His vision and leadership led to the creation of the Hanover Regional Communications Center, dedicated to meeting the public safety needs of Upper Valley Citizens.”

April is also National 9-1-1 Education Month. The Coalition for 9-1-1 Education, a joint initiative of the E9-1-1 Institute, NENA, APCO International, the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators, CTIA, the 911 Industry Alliance and 9-1-1 for Kids, held national kick-off event on April 9 in Washington, D.C. at the Frisbee-Hope Community School. The Paulding County (Ohio) E9-1-1 Communicating Center has also opened its doors to the public for the month of April, conducting public tours and educating its community about the importance of 9-1-1 and how to properly use the system.

Share Your Experiences
What has your agency been up to this week? Luncheons, picnics, award banquets, baseball games, press conferences, local news interviews? Public safety organizations, APCO members and APCO Chapters are invited, and encouraged, to share their celebrations online. APCO’s Member Services Department has established a Web site where people can post photos with captions, talk about their experiences and swap ideas about how to celebrate this annual week.

YourPSCeditors also want to know how you celebrated —and we’re on deadline.If you are interested in contributing, e-mail me by Monday, April 19, with information about how your agency or APCO Chapter celebrated.

In 2011
According to Carrow, “Today we honor these men and women for their compassion, understanding and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year and honor their diligence in keeping our city and citizens safe. The importance of recognizing and celebrating the hard work of these dedicated professionals at every level is immeasurable and we are enlisting your support to honor these men and women.”

For agencies that were unable to celebrate this year, there’s always next year. NPSTW 2011 has been scheduled for April 10-16. So get online, and find out how you can plan next year’s celebration, regardless of your agency’s size or budget.

About the Author
Natasha Yetman is associate editor of Public Safety Communications, the official magazine of APCO International Inc. Contact her via e-mail at [email protected].