[Archived] City of Alexandria Celebrates National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 14-20

­­For Immediate Release: April 17, 2019

The City of Alexandria joins the nation in celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 14-20. This week is dedicated to thanking and honoring those who serve as the "first of the first responders." These professionals provide an essential service to Alexandria’s community by providing 24/7 lifesaving assistance to callers; dispatching police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, and paramedics in the field; and providing public safety personnel with critical information during incidents.

“Our public safety telecommunicators are vital lifelines,” said City Manager Mark Jinks. “They often serve as the first point of contact for people seeking assistance during emergency and non-emergency situations, and are frequently the unsung heroes of our public safety staff.”

In 2018, call takers and dispatchers in the City's Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) handled approximately 265,503 emergency and non-emergency calls. The 911 center has implemented several upgrades. The text to 911 service allows anyone in need of immediate police, fire, or emergency medical assistance to call or text 911 from any landline, mobile phone, or TTY device. There is also the free Smart911 service, which lets users create profiles that provide critical information about health, pets, locations, or other issues to dispatchers in advance of emergencies. 

Alexandria’s 911 center is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), one of two 911 centers in the region (and one of only eight in Virginia) to hold such an accreditation.

For more information about Alexandria 911, visit alexandriava.gov/911.

For media inquiries, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.