Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has proclaimed the second full week of April (April 10-16) as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week across Tennessee.
During this week, the Governor and the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) honor the men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to Tennessee citizens.
“Tennessee’s emergency telecommunicators are crucial to the life-saving service provided by law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies across our state,” said Governor Bill Lee. “I want to thank the tireless work of our dispatchers who provide public service to Tennessee communities 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
The TECB plays a crucial role in assisting the state’s 100 emergency communications districts in the areas of management, operations, and accountability.
“Our Board recognizes the high-quality communications services provided by police and fire dispatchers, 911 operators, and emergency medical technicians during times of crisis in Tennessee,” said TECB Executive Director Curtis Sutton. “This week, we shine a light on the vitally important work of Tennessee’s public safety telecommunicators and their commitment to protecting the lives and property of Tennesseans.”
To help raise awareness of the vital role that telecommunicators play, the TECB is sharing a new video highlighting the work of telecommunicators in their own words.
The TECB is responsible for modernizing the state’s 911 infrastructure to provide more efficient 911 services to the citizens of Tennessee. The TECB is committed to providing 911 training initiatives that ensure telecommunicators have the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to improve emergency response outcomes. In 2021, the TECB provided 1,784 hours of in-person training and over 16,000 hours of online training to 1,767 911 professionals.