TDCI Honors State of Tennessee Emergency Communicators During Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 11-17

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) are celebrating the second full week of April (April 11-17) as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment and render life-saving assistance to Tennessee citizens.

To mark the week and celebrate the achievements of emergency telecommunication professionals, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee commemorated the week with a gubernatorial proclamation and a video that can be seen here.

“Throughout all the crises Tennessee has faced over the past year, I encourage Tennesseans to use this time to celebrate and thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Our dispatchers are always there to answer your call, providing service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.”

The TECB plays a crucial role in emergency communications by assisting emergency communications districts in the areas of management, operations and accountability. In 2020, the TECB provided 1,784 hours of in-person training and 16,243 hours of online training to 1,767 professionals.

The TECB operates on local, state and federal levels to facilitate the technical, financial and operational advancement of Tennessee’s 911 systems. Currently, the TECB is modernizing Tennessee’s 911 infrastructure in order to provide more efficient emergency communications services to Tennessee citizens.

“The TECB is proud to partner with our state’s 100 emergency communications districts to ensure Tennessee’s telecommunicators are among the best trained in the country,” said TECB Executive Director Curtis Sutton. “Our Board recognizes the high-quality communications services provided by police and fire dispatchers, 911 operators and emergency medical technicians to help save lives in Tennessee. This week, we honor and commend Tennessee’s public safety telecommunicators for their professionalism and steadfast commitment to protecting the lives and property of Tennesseans.”

A new blog post from Executive Director Sutton can be found here.

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