Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The Jonesboro E911 Center is asking the community to adopt its dispatchers this holiday season.
This is not the first time the center has hosted an “Adopt a Dispatcher” event. The first one occurred back in April as part of National Public Telecommunicators Week; however, this time, the goal is for the center’s roughly 30 dispatchers to receive Christmas goodies each day of December.
Community members and businesses can cater meals, donate handmade cards, gift baskets, gift cards, and more to dispatchers.
Brandiann O’Marah, a Jonesboro E911 dispatcher, said she has already spoken with about seven businesses and several others that had already donated or were signed up to donate. She said the holidays were often a difficult, busy time for dispatchers.
“Not only do we have our normal stuff, accidents, disturbances, things like that, but we also have more mental health [calls, which] go up more during the holiday months, which in turn, kind of brings us down a little bit,” O’Marah said. “This is a way for the community, the businesses, to get involved to help with that situation, to help our dispatchers feel appreciated and make them feel better during the holidays.”
Those wanting to donate can email O’Marah at BO’Marah@jonesboro.org or call (870) 650-2118.
In the future, O’Marah said a similar event will likely be held during the 2026 National Public Telecommunicators Week, which is annually recognized the second week of April.
For those unable to donate, O’Marah said telling a dispatcher or first responder “thank you” would go a long way during the holiday season.
“Just showing that you appreciate the work that they’re doing to keep [you] and [your] family safe during the holiday season,” O’Marah said. “We’re not just sitting here; we’re actually working, trying to keep you all safe and keep you alive.”