This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, an annual event that honors the essential role emergency response coordination professionals play in keeping the nation's communities safe and secure. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek proclaimed April 14th-20th as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in the state and encouraged all Oregonians to join in the observance.
Oregon has 43 standalone 9-1-1 centers known as Public Safety Answering Points that serve as the first and single point of contact for people seeking immediate relief during an emergency. Nearly 800 dedicated telecommunicators across the state answer at least two million emergency calls annually for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services. These 9-1-1 professionals respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance during intense personal crises and community-wide disasters.
Many 9-1-1 professionals are certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers and receive training on how to process requests for medical assistance and how to dispatch medical providers. Some go on to receive specialty training in crisis intervention, law enforcement support and tactical dispatching, while others receive intermediate and advance certifications and become leaders in the field.
All 9-1-1 professionals work diligently behind the scenes to help people during emergencies ranging from mental health crises, car accidents, missing person reports, burglaries and domestic violence disturbances. Since early 2020, Oregon's public safety telecommunicators have had the added responsibility of serving throughout a pandemic, historic wildfires, heatwaves, winter storms, floods and severe staffing shortages.
The critical work of Oregon's public safety telecommunicators directly supports the operations of federal, state and local government agencies. Oregon's 9-1-1 program was established by the 1981 Oregon Legislature and is directed by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
