In recognition of National 9-1-1 Education Month, D.C. United players paid a visit to more than 100 local 9-1-1 professionals at the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
The visit began with a tour of the OUC facility and continued with a short discussion with United goalkeeper Travis Worra and midfielders Ian Harkes and Jared Jeffrey. The players had the opportunity to interact with 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 operators, who answer more than 3 million emergency and non-emergency calls.
“We are so grateful that D.C. United players took time out of their busy schedules to say thank you for the selfless work that our professionals do,” Karima Holmes, director of the Office of Unified Communications, said.
“So often we take for granted that in times of crisis, our operators are working around the clock to ensure every call is answered with accuracy and care. Our team is honored to serve the Washington, D.C., region and will continue working with the community to connect them to the appropriate first responders and city services in their time of need.”
The event concluded with an ice cream social, where the players served dessert to OUC employees and discussed the challenges facing the 9-1-1 community.
“D.C. United are proud to support our local 9-1-1 call-takers, who work tirelessly to connect our community to the proper emergency services,” Victor Melara, director of community relations for United, said. “We enjoyed this opportunity to say thanks to the professionals who are often overlooked for the essential work they do daily.”
United will host a group of the D.C. call-takers at RFK Stadium on May 13 for the match against the Philadelphia Union.
The event was arranged by NENA: The 9-1-1 Association as part of the organization’s #ThankYou911 campaign. At thankyou911.org, visitors can submit thank you messages, photos, and videos or donate to the campaign to support scholarships and wellness programs for 9-1-1 professionals.
For more information on D.C. United’s community programs and events, visit dcunited.com/community or follow on Twitter at @DCU_CR.
