Stratford Public Safety Communications Center

Promoting 9-1-1 Awareness and Education in April

Stratford Public Safety Dispatcher providing Emergency Medical Dispatch

Stratford Public Safety Dispatcher providing Emergency Medical Dispatch

Stratford, Connecticut – April is National 9-1-1 Education Month, and the National 9-1-1 Education Coalition is encouraging public safety officials, schools, government officials and industry leaders to engage in this national effort to educate the general public about the importance and appropriate use of 9-1-1 services. To support this endeavor, the Coalition has launched the 9-1-1: The Number to Know awareness campaign to allow these entities to speak together with one voice while supporting specific 9-1-1 messages being promoted in the local community.

The month long campaign is designed to help citizens of all ages recognize the importance of 9-1-1 and their role when calling 9-1-1 locally. Stratford Public Safety Communications Center urges you to know what to expect when calling 9-1-1. When calling 9-1-1 for a police, fire, or medical emergency follow these simple steps to ensure help is sent to the correct location as quickly as possible:

  • Stay calm
  • Speak clearly and slowly
  • Provide your location as this is essential to a quick response
  • Provide your phone number so that the dispatcher will be able to call you back if you are disconnected
  • All of the dispatchers questions are important, Answer all of the dispatchers questions
  • Follow the directions given by the dispatcher who will guide you to provide care until help arrives
  • Stay on the phone until the dispatcher says it is OK to hang up

Stratford Public Safety Communications Center will also be celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week during the week of April 12 through April 18. This week recognizes the extraordinary work of our Public Safety 9-1-1 Dispatchers who often remain unknown amongst our public safety response team members.

Many groups, including the United States Congress and members of the Coalition, also recognize April as National 9-1-1 Education month and encourage the media, the 9-1-1 community, the wireless industry, and the public information providers to engage in 9-1-1 awareness and education activities this month. The Coalition has created a variety of resources for 9-1-1 professionals, public educators and citizens on it’s 9-1-1: The Number to Know website: www.Know911.org

The National 9-1-1 Education Coalition is a volunteer group of Public Safety education and industry stakeholders, formed to support the nationwide coordinated promotion of National 9-1-1 Education Month and National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (4/12-4/18). Members of the Coalition are represented by the following organizations: NG9-1-1 Institute, 9-1-1 for Kids, International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA), CTIA – The Wireless Association, The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT).