There are many events, activities and publications that you can devise to recognize, publicize and trumpet National Telecommunicators Week. Some of these activities may be planned on a weekly or daily schedule leading up to NTW. Here are a few that might get your imagination flowing:

• Select a Dispatcher of the Year, by peers from among the public safety dispatchers
• Prepare a proclamation of the week for signature by the mayor, county administrator, county or city council
• Hold an Awards banquet, honor Dispatcher of the Year, other categories
• Get the field employees involved--officers, deputies, firefighters, paramedics. Would there union donate something to the cause?
• Arrange for local celebrity or public safety official to MC Awards Banquet
• Award Certificates of Appreciation to each dispatcher, signed by the mayor, chief or other official
• Create buttons or other lapel-wear and distribute them during the week (CPRA sells these at $1 each, 562-868-9896)
• Hold an open house for the public during the week
• Throw a potluck (hey, this is good any time!), or have a day when the administrators/managers cook for the comm center crew
• Distribute 911 education pamphlets during the open house
• Show a videotape tour during the open house of those parts of the center you can't physically visit
• Arrange radio/TV talk show appearances by dispatchers on broadcast or cable stations
• Create photo opportunities for newspaper and TV news photographers, demonstrate E911, radio and other equipment, take photo of Dispatcher of the Year
• Create a press release that profiles the Dispatcher of the Year and other exemplary personnel
• Create press releases on critical incidents or saves that have occurred during the year
• Create a fact sheet about the center, detailing the statistics during the past yea
• Create audio tape press releases of critical incidents (insure the participants' confidentiality)
• Take photos of the Awards Banquet, present album to Dispatcher of the Year
• Solicit donations from local businesses to award to recipients of the awards
• Consider other perks for awards recipients---special parking space, plaque, photo on comm center wall
• Print banners on your computer and post on the entrance door or bulletin board

[Thanks to Linda Olmstead and others for the ideas!]