Board proclaims April 12–18 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

The Blackhawk County Board of Supervisors on April 7 declared April 12–18, 2026, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in the county.

“Every year, there is a week set aside to honor our 9‑1‑1 telecommunicators throughout the country,” said Judy Flores, director of the county’s consolidated public safety communication center, during the proclamation presentation. Flores noted local milestones: the county’s dispatch center was among the first nationally to accept text‑to‑9‑1‑1 in 2009 and dispatchers are certified to give pre‑arrival medical instructions.

The proclamation text read by a board member credited telecommunicators with ensuring responder safety and providing the public’s first critical contact with emergency services. Board members voted to adopt the resolution and recognized staff with a short photo opportunity following the vote.

The designation is ceremonial, intended to highlight public awareness of the dispatchers’ training and everyday duties; Flores said local dispatch training can take “6 to 8 months, sometimes up to a year” and that dispatchers regularly provide lifesaving pre‑arrival instructions. The board encouraged the public to thank dispatch staff during the week.