Blog Post

Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Office of the Texas Governor Greg Abbott • April 13, 2020

From the Office of the Governor

Public Safety telcommunicators are rarely seen during emergencies, but these men and women who serve our communities across the state help to save lives every day. These "unseen first responders," which included 9-1-1 operators, dispatchers and other communications specialists, answer calls for help and use their invaluable communication and decision-making skills to address the needs of the caller as the emergency dictates. They think and respond rapidly and respond rapidly and often creatively to reassure frightened, upset and confused callers while at the same time maintaining the calm, professional, and disciplined demeanor that handling a 9-1-1 call requires.

By providing critical assistance in times of great need, public safety telecommunicators have made countless contributions to public safety in our state. Texas has almost 600 public safety answering points where over 4,000 telecommunicators answer 9-1-1 calls, with a large percentage of those calls now coming from wireless phones. The Commission of State Emergency Communications works with telecommunicators and local and state governments to ensure Texans have reliable access to emergency telecommunication services. Every year, the commission designates a week in April for an awareness campaign to highlight the many contributions and achievements of public safety telecommunicators.

At this time, I encourage all Texans to learn more about the vital role these communications professionals play in our everyday lives and to extend their appreciation and gratitude to public safety telecommunicators. Their strength and expertise in times of crisis and emergency ensure Texans receive the help they need when they need it most.

Therefore, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim April 12-18, 2020, to be Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Texas, and urge the appropriate recognition whereof. 
A police officer is holding a microphone in his pocket.

Homeland Security, Criminal Justice Grant Funding Available for East Texas Public Safety Projects

By East Texas Council of Governments • December 19, 2024
State agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, universities or colleges, and federally recognized Native American tribes can soon apply for FY 2026 grant funds from the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office , State Homeland Security Grant Program and Criminal Justice division. New and continuing applicants in ETCOG’s fourteen (14) county region are invited to attend FREE grant application workshops hosted by the ETCOG Public Safety division . Workshops for each grant category to be held virtually from December 18, 2024, through February 13, 2025. Grant funding will be available for the following programs: Homeland Security State Homeland Security Program – Regular Projects (SHSP-R) Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA) Criminal Justice General Victim Assistance Direct Services Program (VOCA) Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (VAWA) Juvenile Justice & Truancy Prevention Grant Program (SF-JJTP) Criminal Justice Program (DJ-JAG) “The goal is to improve public safety, support victims of crime, and assist jurisdictions by filling gaps in the region via funding that promotes innovative solutions to regional problems,” said ETCOG’s Public Safety Director, Stephanie Heffner. “We help applicants understand what needs to go into their grant applications and what they have to track once they receive funding from the state so we can successfully bring public safety projects to East Texas.” Workshops for Homeland Security will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 10:00 AM Workshops for Criminal Justice will be held on the following dates: Monday, January 7, 2025 - 2:00 PM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 2:30 PM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 2:00 PM Workshops are mandatory if you plan to apply for funding. To participate in a virtual workshop for Homeland Security, visit www.pineywoods911.com/homeland-security . To participate in a virtual workshop for Criminal Justice, visit www.pineywoods911.com/criminal-justice .
A woman in a police uniform is standing in a park.

$3.4M in Public Safety Grants Approved for East Texas Region

By ETCOG Public Safety • December 17, 2024
The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) announces $3.4 million in grants from the Governor's Public Safety Office awarded to East Texas jurisdictions and nonprofits.
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