Iredell County proclaims Telecommunicators Week, emergency communications reports more than 333,000 annual calls

Iredell County declared April 12–18, 2026, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and set April 2026 as National 911 Education Month after a presentation from Iredell County Emergency Communications.

The department’s representative, Terry DeFault, told the board that the center handled 333,807 calls for service last year across law enforcement, EMS, fire, animal control and rescue, plus more than 3 million radio transmissions. She said the center handled roughly 82,979 911 incoming calls and 126,427 non-emergency calls, and highlighted outreach such as PSAP tours and fourth-grade visits.

The proclamation text praised telecommunicators as the ‘‘single vital link’’ coordinating dispatch and ensuring first-responder safety and asked the public to support efforts to modernize 911 and increase education. DeFault asked the board to proclaim both the recognition week and a month of 911 education; commissioners repeatedly voiced thanks and support and approved the proclamations by consent.

Commissioners and attendees underscored the emotional burden of dispatch work, the value of community education and the department’s public outreach. One commissioner noted the center’s work during a difficult 2025 and thanked staff for continuing public education efforts and the fourth-grade tours that the county’s public relations staff helped arrange.

The board approved the proclamations and invited the telecommunicators for a photo following the meeting. There was no formal vote roll call recorded in the transcript; actions were adopted by unanimous voice consent during the session.