April is National 9-1-1 Education Month and National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is April 13-19

April 1, 2025

OEMC will also honor the outstanding contributions by 9-1-1 Call Takers and Dispatchers, 3-1-1 Operators, Traffic Management Authority and Emergency Managers at the Annual Employee Awards Ceremony on April 17

The City of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is celebrating National 9-1-1 Education Month to honor the outstanding contributions of the City's 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers. Additionally, OEMC will celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 13-19 and will hold he annual employee Awards Ceremony on April 17.
During the month of April, OEMC will highlight the public safety role OEMC personnel performs every day, 24/7 for the well-being of Chicagoans. Whether it’s providing lifesaving CPR instructions, texting crime victims who are unable to talk to provide first responders with needed details; or coordinating public safety and traffic for large events, OEMC works behind the scenes to ensure the safety of Chicago residents and visitors.
“I’m proud to recognize the extraordinary dedication of the men and women at OEMC for the challenging jobs they carry out every day protecting Chicagoans and first responders,” said Frank Velez, OEMC Acting Executive Director. “This is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on OEMC employees as the driving force behind public safety in Chicago as they perform their critical roles for the safety and well-being of our residents.
9-1-1 Education Month – Tips for calling 9-1-1
OEMC wants to remind Chicagoans 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:
  1. What’s happening or what type of service do you need?
  2. Where is your location? Be as specific as possible and provide an exact address, intersection or provide a landmark.
  3. Who are the offenders, can you provide a description? Are you the victim or someone else?
  4. When did the event occur or is it happening now?
  5. Weapons – are there weapons involved and what is it? A gun, knife, bat, brick, etc.

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Additional Information

Smart 911 Safety Profile
In an emergency, seconds count and OEMC urges 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 and medical conditions.
  • Home or apartment layouts, access points and utility information
  • Number of people and pets in your home
  • Provide automobile information for first responders in the event of an accident or stolen vehicle.
  • 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.
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. 
 
OEMC Employee Awards and Special Recognition
During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, OEMC will celebrate newly graduated 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers, Emergency Managers, 3-1-1 Operators, Traffic Management Authority staff who have gone above and beyond in carrying out their duties to keep residents safe at an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 17, 8-10 a.m.
Commendations, Awards of Merit and Team Performance and Other Award Highlights
Multiple OEMC 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers, emergency managers and other staff members 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 OEMC Operations Center  
  • Multiple teams of call takers and dispatchers worked together to assist on scene first responders from the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department.
  • Multiple dispatchers and Emergency Managers who were nominated by law enforcement for their skilled professionalism  and assistance during the 2024 Democratic National Convention and  over the radio during major citywide incidents and large-scale events will receive Individual and Team Performance Awards.
  • 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.
30 Years of Service Award
Special recognition will be given to the first civilian call-takers and dispatchers with 30 Years of Service to the residents of the City of Chicago. They were the first civilian class to start in 1995 when the Chicago Office of Emergency Communications (OEMC) was created as a state-of-the-art communications facility to consolidate the City’s 9-1-1 operations and to improve service and response time by the city’s public safety departments.
Chicago OEMC App
Residents are encouraged to download Chicago OEMC App as a public safety tool providing alerts, weather reports and radar, preparedness tips, see street closures for events and even share your walk with a friend through CHI Safe Walk. The app is available through the Apple App and Google Play stores. To immediately download, click HERE or visit the website Chicago.gov/OEMC. 
For additional information on emergency preparedness information, we encourage residents to download the Chicago OEMC app, visit the OEMC website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook(@coemc), Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC), Instagram (chicago_oemc_911), Bluesky (@chicagooemc.bsky.social) and Threads (@chicago_oemc_911). using the hashtags #ChicagoOEMC #ThankYou911 #Smart911 #Chicago911 #BeSafeChicago.

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