The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) is partnering with national public safety leaders to designate April 2024 as National 911 Education Month, emphasizing 911 awareness and proper usage. This campaign aims to educate Americans about the critical role of calling or texting 911 for effective emergency response during a crisis. Iowa’s 911 Program Manager, Blake DeRouchey, says, “Telecommunicators go through training that enables them to handle stressful calls on a daily basis. People often take 911 and Public Safety Telecommunicators for granted, but they are always there and ready to provide callers the emergency response that is needed. Nights, weekends, and holidays, they are always on duty.” For further information on using 911, resources are available on the Ready Iowa website and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) 911 Education Month webpage, links to which are included below.
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Public Education Tools & 9-1-1 Education Month – National Emergency Number Association
