911 call takers, dispatchers, crisis counselors
Communications
911 call takers, dispatchers, and crisis counselors play a fundamental role in the first minutes of a crisis or traumatic event. Communications is the foundation that lets every other agency coordinate information, send the right resources, and keep responders safe.
What the job asks
- Answer emergency calls and gather the facts that decide who responds.
- Give life-saving instructions over the phone until help arrives.
- Track every unit in the field and relay information in real time.
- Absorb the hardest moments of other people's lives, call after call.
How you can help
- Know your location. Learn the address where you are, and use landmarks or mile markers when you are on the road.
- Stay on the line and answer the questions. The dispatcher is often sending help while you talk.
- If you dial 911 by mistake, stay on the line and say so. Hanging up can trigger a callback or a check.
Recognition
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
The second week of April
See the full recognition calendar
Support line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Free and confidential, 24/7.