Telecommunicators handle calls for help every day, whether it’s answering questions on a nonemergency line or handling life-threatening emergencies on 911. They are expected to answer quickly and get it right every single time with courtesy and compassion—and that’s not always an easy task. It takes a special person to be a 911 professional and those who answer the call in this profession don’t always get the credit they deserve. Fortunately, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW) is a time for us to thank and show our appreciation for the very difficult work these professionals do each day. This year, the event runs from April 14–20 and Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) throughout the country will take time to honor these highly trained professionals, while having fun doing it.
Kathy Sukus, Public Safety Engagement Leader for OnStar, is no stranger to public safety communications; she spent more than 30 years working in an ECC, retiring as Director in 2022. She knows firsthand that, because telecommunicators are unseen by the public, their accomplishments oftentimes can be overlooked. “The public doesn’t always realize that the person who answered the call or dispatched the responders may have taken lifesaving actions before the responders even arrived and, in many cases, positively changed the outcome of that incident,” she says.
When Sukus joined General Motors’ OnStar Public Safety Outreach Team, she was excited to learn about the recognition efforts OnStar implements during NPSTW. “Every year, OnStar identifies approximately a dozen ECCs and sends an award and small tokens of appreciation to the agency to express our gratitude. It’s a really fulfilling experience,” says Sukus. OnStar Contact Centers also celebrate NPSTW with a variety of creative activities for the Emergency Advisors to highlight their role in assisting members and telecommunicators. “It’s a special time of year and they are so deserving of this recognition and much more.”
Kenosha (Wis.) Joint Services, a consolidated communications center in southern Wisconsin, also celebrates the week to recognize the efforts of its telecommunicator staff. The center has been introducing a variety of activities for the better part of a decade.
“We’ll do dress-up themes, whether sports-related, black and gold [dispatcher colors] or even your favorite superhero,” says Nikki Beranis, Communications Manager at Kenosha Joint Services. “We’ll get a proclamation from the county executive; fire departments and local hospitals will bring in food; and this year, we’re hoping for some shout-outs from a local radio station. One year, children from our local school district even wrote thank-you notes, which meant a lot.”
Being a 911 professional is serious business, with a stressful work environment at times, long shifts and working holidays. “The fact that they often take someone’s worst day and bring calm and assurance should be celebrated,” Beranis says. “Having a national week in their honor gives us an opportunity to build camaraderie and, for the personnel themselves, to really get to know each other better.”
Happy National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week from all of us at OnStar! We appreciate all that you do to keep our communities safer. Be safe out there.
