Community Relations

Three children meet Community Relations Team members at the South Sound 911 booth at the Harvest Festival

South Sound 911 strives to increase awareness of the organization by forging partnerships in the community and industry. The department is responsible for the agency’s official communications such as media releases, the award-winning annual report and website, and social media.

The Community Relations Manager and the agency’s Community Relations Team (CRT) also work to shine the light on exemplary actions, promote efforts to improve 911 services, and raise community support and awareness. As the agency’s sourcing recruiters, the CRT also helps recruit the best and brightest to serve South Sound 911’s partner agencies and communities.

Education

South Sound 911 provides FREE educational presentations about 911 and careers in 911 and dispatch for school classrooms, community organizations, and neighborhood groups.

Kids asking questions to employees at community event

The primary goal of our education program is to increase awareness of South Sound 911ā€™s services and to better prepare our community to use those services appropriately. Additionally, community outreach efforts afford us the opportunity to solicit feedback and to identify service areas which may need improvement.

Community education is an especially effective tool for 911, but what makes our program unique is that South Sound 911’s educators are the ones who answer 911 calls, so they can offer insight and advice unlike others in public safety.

While 911 is a lifeline for people in an emergency, 911 is often abused. By teaching how to properly use 911, how 911 works when a call is answered, and by promoting alternative phone numbers (such as the appropriate non-emergency number), South Sound 911 will better serve the community. The faster a 911 call taker can answer an emergency call, the faster a person needing help will receive potentially life-saving police, fire or medical aid.

Additional Resources

To request a group presentation or event appearance, please call or email the Community Relations Manager to schedule a convenient time with one of our CRT members. 

Students in a classroom listen intently to a 911 story told by a Community Relations Team member an a police officer

Due to demand, we request approximately 3-4 weeks advance notice. In the meantime, these resources may be helpful: