The City of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 9-15, as part of National 9-1-1 Education Month to honor the outstanding contributions of the City's 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers. The month will culminate with Smart911 Day on April 30 to encourage residents to sign-up for Smart911, a free and secure service that provides 9-1-1 with critical information.

During the month of April, OEMC will be launching a new program – Answering the Call – to increase awareness of the public safety role OEMC personnel performs every day, 24/365 for the well-being of Chicagoans. Whether it’s providing lifesaving CPR instructions, texting with crime victims who are unable to talk to provide first responders with needed details; or working to coordinating public safety and traffic for large events. OEMC works behind the scenes to ensure the safety of Chicago residents and visitors.

“We are proud to recognize the extraordinary dedication of OEMC staff, in particular our 9-1-1 workforce, for the challenging jobs they carry out every day protecting Chicagoans and first responders,” said OEMC Executive Director Rich Guidice. “Answering the Call allows us to shine a spotlight on our employees as the driving force behind OEMC as they perform their duties as a call taker, dispatcher, emergency manager, Traffic Control Aide, supervisor, manager, or any of the other critical roles dedicated to public safety.”

OEMC Employee Awards and Special Recognition
During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, OEMC will celebrate newly graduated 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers as well as recognize those who have gone above and beyond in carrying out their duties as call takers and dispatchers at an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 13, 8-10 a.m.

Commendations, Awards of Merit and Team Performance and Other Award Highlights
Multiple OEMC 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers will be receiving individual and team awards of commendation, merit and honorable mentions for their professionalism and life-saving actions. Examples include the following:

• Unified Operations Award for the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program in which 9-1-1 Police and Fire Operations are collaborating with other city departments on the City’s first multidisciplinary alternate response to emergencies involving behavioral health.
• Multiple teams of call takers and dispatchers worked together to assist on scene first responders from the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department. Examples of such incidents include the January 25 high-rise fire on Lake Park Drive and the March 1 10-1 that resulted in the loss of Police Officer Andres M. Vasquez Lasso.
• Multiple dispatchers and Emergency Managers who were nominated by the Chicago Police Department for their skilled professionalism over the radio during major citywide incidents and large-scale events will receive a Team Performance Award.
• A 3-1-1 supervisor observed an email threatening harm to the Mayor and immediately notified the police. Due to the attention to detail, the supervisor played an important role in assisting the Chicago Police Department in apprehending the offender and will receive an Award of Merit.
• Traffic Control Aides at O’Hare Airport alerting police and airport security of retrieving a weapon that resulted in law enforcement apprehending the offender.
• Fire Operations working to dispatch a mass casualty response coordinated special operations equipment, fires suppression and rescue units and EMS assets.
• Dispatchers working in the Operations Center along-side the Chicago Police Departments Vehicular Hijacking Task Force to provide vital information to responding units in the field to apprehend individuals committing crimes.

Smart 911 Day on April 30 Honors Call Takers and Dispatchers
Chicago’s 9-1-1 personnel play a critical role in our community, helping those in need during what are often their most stressful moments. To cap off 9-1-1 Education Month on Smart911 Day, Sunday, April 30, OEMC will honor our unsung public safety heroes by urging residents to create a Smart911 profile. The free and secure service allows individuals and families to sign up online, with the Smart911 app or the Chicago OEMC App. By filling out a safety profile for you and your household, residents can provide critical information to 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers during an emergency. Smart911 safety profiles can include pertinent information that can help first responders provide a more personalized response, such as:
• Emergency contact information
• Medical history, including medications, medical equipment, and medical conditions.
• Property layouts, access points and utility information
• Number of people and pets on the property
• Provide automobile information for first responders in the event of an accident or vehicular high jacking.
• Residents have the ability to opt-in to share their home surveillance camera footage with the Chicago Police Department in the event that a crime occurs at their residence or neighborhood. Opting-in to this feature does not authorize anyone access to your home cameras without your awareness, you will always be contacted for permission to access your cameras and can choose to decline.

All Smart911 profiles are private. Your profile will only appear to the call taker for the duration of a 9-1-1 call. To join the Smart911 community to protect the ones you love, residents can create a free safety profile by visiting Smart911.com or by downloading the Smart911 App. For additional information click Chicago.gov/OEMC.

9-1-1 Education Month – Tips for calling 9-1-1
OEMC wants to remind residents to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious activity. If you notice something suspicious call 9-1-1. If You See Something, Say Something™ is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. When calling 9-1-1, you should always remember the 5 Ws:
• What’s happening or what type of service do you need?
• Where is your location? Be as specific as possible and provide an exact address, intersection or provide a landmark.
• Who are the offenders, can you provide a description? Are you the victim or someone else?
• When did the event occur or is it happening now?
• Weapons – are there weapons involved and what is it? A gun, knife, bat, brick, etc.

Chicago OEMC App
Downloading the Chicago OEMC app is a great way to get emergency alerts, check CTA Tracker information, monitor weather reports and radar, see street closures for events and even share your walk with a friend through CHI Safe Walk - all in one place. Residents are encouraged to get the new Chicago OEMC App as a public safety tool providing Safe Chicago information, preparedness tips and more in the palm of your hand, Smart911 and more. The app is now available through the Apple App and Google Play stores. To immediately download, click HERE or visit the website Chicago.gov/OEMC.

For additional information, visit our website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Follow the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook, Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC) and Instagram (chicago_oemc_911) using the hashtags #ChicagoOEMC #ThankYou911 #Smart911 #Chicago911 #BeSafeChicago.

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