The State 911 Committee (SNC) is recognizing Michigan telecommunicators and their vital contributions to public safety during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 14-20. In Michigan, the SNC is privileged to honor those who serve in this important role in our state.
“Our 911 professionals have provided a year of exceptional service for Michigan’s residents, visitors, and our public safety partners. It was a year of advancement with many centers adding new technology such as video, what3words, and location-based routing for wireless 911 emergency calls. It was also another year of staffing challenges which increased stress and workload,” stated Ms. Joni Harvey, State 911 Administrator. “Michigan’s 911 telecommunicators consistently show dedication and adaptability to do what needs to be done to provide the best services possible for our customers. As we celebrate these incredible professionals annually, we must remember the effort and commitment to public service they put in every day throughout the year.”
In Michigan, 911 centers serve as the primary point for dispatching police, fire, and EMS responses. In addition to answering and dispatching emergency calls, telecommunicators also provide pre-arrival instructions for police, fire, and medical calls, activate weather alerts, and coordinate additional incident scene response such as medical examiners, child protective services, hospitals, road commission, utility and public works department notifications, callouts for specialized response teams such as search and rescue, SWAT, negotiating teams, and hazmat response teams.
Telecommunicators receive calls through many different 911 dialing systems including wireless, land-line telephones, Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VoIP), smart devices, and text messages.
The Chair of the SNC, Mr. Jeff Troyer, stated, “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is dedicated to the men and women who serve as the heartbeat of public safety emergency services. Many are overworked and receive very little recognition as the first, public safety first-responder. Please join me in thanking and commending all public safety telecommunicators throughout Michigan who consistently safeguard lives with compassion.”
The SNC was established by Public Act 79 of 1999. It is a 21-member organization that promotes the successful development, implementation, and operation of 911 systems across Michigan.
Quick Facts about 911:
On February 16, 1968, Alabama Speaker of the House, Mr. Rankin Fite, made the first 911 call from the Haleyville City Hall.
Today there are 134 primary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in Michigan.
According to the SNC’s 2023 Annual Report to the Michigan Legislature, of the counties and service districts that reported, telecommunicators in Michigan answered: 6,054,377 calls to 911; 29,337 texts-to-911; and 7,145,580 calls from non-emergency 911 lines.
There are approximately 2,200 telecommunicators in Michigan.
Certified 911 telecommunicators in Michigan must complete at least 80 hours of basic and advanced dispatch training within their first 24 months of employment, maintain continuing education requirements by participating in approved courses, and accumulate at least 24 continuing education hours every 24 months.
Michigan currently has 81 counties converted to an IP-based service, which allows for more advanced Next-Generation 911 call handling. One county and one Wayne County Service District are working through the process.
As of February 2023, 82 Michigan counties and three Wayne County Service Districts have deployed text-to-911. A map of current text-to-911 deployments can be found here.
