(Washington, DC) – The District’s Office of Unified Communications has been honored with the Next Generation 911 Institute’s Awareness Award for its efforts to promote education and awareness of emergency 911 services. A reception and recognition ceremony will be held on February 14 in Washington to convey the award.

The award is being given for OUC’s “It’s Spooky Not to Know Your Address” Program, held last Halloween, which brought children from DC’s MLK Elementary School to the agency’s Unified Call Center. There, they received treats, toured a “haunted” call floor, and learned how to use 911 during an emergency. Read about the event and see photos here.

“It was a fun event that carried a very serious message,” said OUC Director Karima Holmes. “911 Operators often interact with small children who can’t tell them where they are. The Operator can’t always determine where the call is coming from, particularly if a cell phone is being used.”

“This award is indicative of the great community outreach this agency has been involved in over the past two years,” Holmes said. “Our Operators do an amazing job, and we are carrying the stories of what they do into our neighborhoods through community meetings, participation in community health fairs, media events, and other outreach activities.

The NG9-1-1 Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that works with the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus to promote the deployment of advanced and effective 9-1-1 and Next Generation 9-1-1 (collectively, NG9-1-1) services throughout the nation. Founded in 2003, the Institute continues to be a valued resource for Members of Congress and their staff.