Office of Unified Communications

Last week, our Heroes in Headsets received 17,133 calls for service for police, fire, and EMS, and handled over 95 text-to-911 sessions with 93.92% of calls answered in 20 seconds or less.

Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day - the OUC team wore orange in honor of those whose lives have been forever changed by gun violence.

This week, Director McGaffin hosted the latest cohort of the Washington Metropolitan Police Dept. Community Engagement Academy. Participants visited our simulation lab, where they received an overview of the life of a 911 call, walked through THOR - the District’s mobile command center, and ended their visit with a mock CritiCall 911 call-taker pre-employment exam.

Last week, our Heroes in Headsets received 16,873 calls for service for police, fire, and EMS, and handled over 130 text-to-911 sessions with 95.20% of calls answered in 20 seconds or less.

The Washington Metropolitan Police Dept. prioritizes connecting with young people in the city through its Youth and Family Engagement Division. Yesterday evening, OUC welcomed the division's latest cohort of District students for a tour, presentation, and conversation about career paths in public safety communications.

OUC hosted its latest Prospect Day today, welcoming applicants as they started their journey toward a career in emergency communications.

Last week, our Heroes in Headsets received 17,021 calls for service for police, fire, and EMS, and handled over 170 text-to-911 sessions with 92.79% of calls answered in 20 seconds or less.

As EMS Week draws to a close, we would like to express our gratitude to the courageous members of DC Fire And EMS who serve and safeguard the District.

Wishing a happy EMS Week to emergency medical services professionals throughout the country—thank you for everything you do!

This week, OUC participated in the 2026 Mobility Safety Summit hosted by United We Go by the DC Highway Safety Office, contributing to a panel discussion focused on innovative partnerships.

At the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA National EMS Week Celebration, THOR was exhibited to highlight the critical role that emergency communicators play in supporting the life-saving work of EMTs and paramedics both within the District and across the nation.