Putting a Spotlight on the “First” First Responders

A police communicator working at the Ottawa Police Service’s Communications Centre where all of the city’s 9-1-1 calls are received.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE

Why National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Matters

By Sonia Vani, community volunteer

Most of us have filled out forms asking us to name an emergency contact. For something simple like a hospital pick-up after a procedure, the choice may be easy. But in more unexpected situations, the decision might take more thought. Who can you trust to guide you if something goes wrong? Caring about your wellbeing is a good start, but they also need to be reachable, reliable, clear-thinking, connected, and capable of coordinating what should happen next.

Now imagine a room filled with the city’s top emergency contacts. That’s what it feels like to step inside the Ottawa Police Service’s 9-1-1 Communications Centre. The civilian police communicators who work there—call takers and dispatchers—spend every shift acting as the calm, steady voice guiding people through their worst moments.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, observed annually during the second full week of April, exists to recognize professionals like them. On any given day, the Centre handles roughly 1,000 calls through its main 9‑1‑1 line. Communicators are trained to ask the right questions, gather the critical details, and ensure the appropriate responders—police, fire, or paramedics—are deployed as quickly and safely as possible. While some callers are transferred to other emergency services, it is always the police communicators who first assess the situation, prioritize the emergency, and set the response in motion.

Despite how essential this work is, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week remains largely unknown outside the field. Its name may not immediately resonate, but its purpose is clear: to honour the call takers and dispatchers who are the “first” first responders. They are the invisible yet expert multitaskers who help transform chaos into a coordinated emergency response.

The role is often misunderstood. Many people assume answering a 9‑1‑1 call is as straightforward as listening and relaying information. In truth, it is far more complex. Call takers must filter through noise, fear, and confusion to extract the key facts that will allow them to coordinate a safe, effective response in real time. They are masters of focus and compartmentalization and how they manage a call can directly influence how a response is carried out.

“By using respectful communication, empathy, compassion, and active listening, my words and actions directly affect how first responders are received once on‑scene. I may not control the outcome of an emergency, but I can control my part of the process—and that’s what motivates me every day.”

— Eric Brown, OPS Police Communicator

“I see myself as an ambassador for the Ottawa Police Service,” says Eric Brown, an OPS police communicator approaching his first anniversary in the role. “By using respectful communication, empathy, compassion, and active listening, my words and actions directly affect how first responders are received once on‑scene. I may not control the outcome of an emergency, but I can control my part of the process—and that’s what motivates me every day.”

Eva Burnett, a recently retired police communicator with 37 years of experience, recalls some of the challenges: “Sometimes callers won’t listen to the advice we give, even when we understand the bigger picture. We may not be onsite, but we have experience. Their worst day is our every day.” Behind the scenes, communicators juggle multiple screens, rapid information streams, system updates, note‑taking, de‑escalation, and the emotional weight of each call—and then move on to the next one. The flow of information is constant, and the margin for error is incredibly small.

Burnett notes that closure can be hard to come by. Dispatchers often follow up with responding officers after difficult calls to understand how the situation ended. “Those extra details just might help us process what we heard and move forward.” The physical and mental demands of the job require intentional care. Both Brown and Burnett emphasize how important it is for communicators to have healthy outlets outside of work.

“Find something you love and hang onto it,” Burnett advises. Strong relationships with colleagues and supervisors also play a critical role in helping communicators build sustainable careers in this demanding field. Organizations like the Ottawa First Responders Foundation provide additional support through financial assistance and access to specialized mental‑health resources for active and retired first responders and their families—ensuring no one faces the impacts of trauma, stress, or crisis alone.

Between April 12 and April 18, take a moment to appreciate the “first” first responders whose steady voices and split‑second decisions make a positive difference in so many lives.