Our local dispatchers, the calm voices on the other end of a 9-1-1 call, serve as the first first responders 24/7, guiding callers and coordinating help in life’s most critical moments.
In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week this April, the California Public-Safety Radio Association, the Southern California Chapter of APCO -the Association of Public Communications Officials International, which has supported public safety communications professionals for more than 90 years, preview their upcoming Public Safety Awards Banquet on April 17, 2026, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel in Buena Park, honoring outstanding service in law enforcement, fire, EMS, and technology.
Terri Nelson, Operations & Training Chair for SoCal APCO/CPRA, a retired from law enforcement officer who has been organizing this banquet for 18 years and Ron Dunn, a retired communications manager and APCO Executive Council Delegate, discuss this event, National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, and careers in dispatch.