LOCAL 9-1-1 AGENCIES RUN MOVIE THEATER ADS DURING APRIL

Apr 15th, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 15, 2011

For More Information
Sonya Lopez-Clauson
Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Public Information Officer
281.949.5509 or 832.237.9911 or (713) 806-9495 cell

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LOCAL 9-1-1 AGENCIES RUN MOVIE THEATER ADS DURING APRIL:
NATIONAL 9-1-1 PUBLIC EDUCATION MONTH*

9-1-1 TELECOMMUNICATOR WEEK: APRIL 10-16, 2011

(HOUSTON, TX) April is National 9-1-1 Education Month—Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network (GHC 91-1) announced that, starting Friday, April 15, 2011 movie goers in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties will begin seeing a new public education message at 23 movie theaters (locations list on page two). Along with 9-1-1 Education Month, the week of April 10-16 is 9-1-1 Telecommunicator Week all across Texas—a time to recognize 9-1-1 call takers for their critical role in emergency services.

“During times of crisis, callers are generally under high stress and, therefore, they can be impatient and erratic,” said Lavergne Schwender, executive director of GHC 9-1-1. “So, we devised a powerful commercial to remind callers to follow a highly trained 9-1-1 operator’s lead: listen, answer questions, and follow instructions.” The educational commercial will run in theaters through May 5, 2011 and it reminds citizen-callers of three ways to get the emergency help they need.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 30-SECOND 9-1-1 CINEMA COMMERCIAL.
http://911.org/Help-us-Help-You-911.asp IT MAY TAKE 60 SECONDS OR MORE TO DOWNLOAD.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week—9-1-1 call takers are the vital link between the citizens calling for help and the response agencies which assist them. “These individuals are professionals who are behind-the-scenes and often unrecognized. Daily their actions are responsible for helping to protect people and property,” said Schwender.

As part of National 9-1-1 Education Month in April, GHC 9-1-1 and the Montgomery County Emergency Communication District join other 9-1-1 agencies throughout Texas and the U.S., including the National Emergency Number Association (NENA,) to insure that citizens are informed about what to do in an emergency.

The “Help Us Help You” Commercial Has Three Key Messages

1. When calling 9-1-1, always answer the operator’s questions. It is not unusual for callers in crisis to become frustrated or fail to see why operators’ questions are important. By asking questions, an operator is able to discern important information that will result in the correct emergency response vehicle and personnel being dispatched to the scene.

2. Always stay on the line.
When callers hang up, it could mean that something has gone very wrong, so 9-1-1 call takers will attempt to call back. Therefore, a hang-up can delay appropriate emergency assistance and tie up 9-1-1 lines longer than necessary.

3. Always follow instructions.
9-1-1 call takers undergo extensive training and can often-times help a caller manage an emergency until trained personnel arrive. There are countless incidents of operators instructing callers about how to administer CPR—even helping deliver babies.
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9-1-1 RUNS “HELP US HELP YOU” MOVIE THEATER ADS PAGE 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 8, 2010


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The Commercial Will Be Shown in Movie Theaters April 15 – May 5, 2011


Theatre Location
Cinemark 12 Rosenberg ROSENBERG, TX
Cinemark 12 Silverlake PEARLAND, TX
Cinemark 13 Cypress CYPRESS, TX
Cinemark 18 Webster WEBSTER, TX
Cinemark 19 KATY, TX
Deerbrook 24 HUMBLE, TX
First Colony 24 with IMAX SUGAR LAND, TX
Fountains 18 STAFFORD, TX
Gulf Pointe 30 with IMAX HOUSTON, TX
Hollywood USA PASADENA, TX
Houston Greenway 24 HOUSTON, TX
Houston Marq*E Stadium 22 plus IMAX HOUSTON, TX
Katy Mills 20 KATY, TX
Kingwood Movies 14 KINGWOOD, TX
Memorial City Mall HOUSTON, TX
Spring 10 SPRING, TX
Studio 30 Houston HOUSTON, TX
Tinseltown - Jacinto City HOUSTON, TX
Tinseltown USA 290 HOUSTON, TX
Willowbrook 24 HOUSTON, TX
Cinemark at Market Street SPRING, TX
Tinsletown Movies 17 THE WOODLANDS, TX

The commercial will also be on TV stations throughout the greater Houston viewing area following the movie theater campaign.

*April was designated as National 9-1-1 Education Month by Congress in March 2008 in order to educate the public about the importance and appropriate use of 9-1-1.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week began in 1981 as a time to honor and raise awareness and appreciation for the hard work and dedication of 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers.


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