FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPCD Announces Details for Annual
9-1-1 Poster Contest and 9-1-1 Children’s Day Event
NEW ORLEANS, LA (October 22, 2019) – The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) announces the details for their annual 9-1-1 Poster Contest and 9-1-1 Children’s Day Event for students in Orleans Parish Schools.
9-1-1 Poster Contest
Students in public, private and parochial Orleans Parish Schools, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, will have the chance to win $1,000 for themselves and their schools by entering their artwork into the 9-1-1 Poster Contest.
In the contest, students are asked to draw, color or paint a poster that focuses on dialing 9-1-1 for help and the public safety agencies that come to the caller’s assistance. Students must complete and submit an entry form (found at https://911nola.org/9-1-1-poster-contests/) to OPCD, along with their poster, by December 2, 2019.
Grand prize winners and runners up will be invited to a luncheon at the Roosevelt Hotel on December 20, 2019 where they will receive recognition for their artwork and claim their prize.
9-1-1 Children’s Day
The second student focused event OPCD will host this holiday season is 9-1-1 Children’s Day. On Friday, November 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade students in Orleans Parish Schools will be invited to the OPCD campus (118 City Park Ave) where they can experience free interactive presentations by The New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans EMS and the Audubon Bug Mobile. Students will also receive a tour of the OPCD 9-1-1 call center and be treated to pizza and juice.
“This is always a special time of year for OPCD,” state OPCD Executive Director, Tyrell Morris. “There is nothing more exciting than seeing the faces of the children of New Orleans brighten when they see how our first responders do they amazing work they do, whether that’s by seeing the call center in action, or touring an ambulance or fire truck, or petting one of the horses from the NOPD mounted patrol.”
“This is a real opportunity for children in our city to build a relationship with our first responders so they can feel more confident and comfortable reaching out to us during an emergency,” continued Morris. “We want them to understand what we do and know they should never be afraid of calling 9-1-1 for assistance. We are here to serve everyone…young and old.”
For sponsorship opportunities or more information on the 9-1-1 Poster Contest or 9-1-1 Children’s Day, please contact OPCD Public Engagement Manager, Marcus Creel, at mcreel@911nola.org
About Orleans Parish Communications District (www.911nola.org)
Formed in 1982, the Orleans Parish Communication District is the public safety answering point (PSAP) for all emergency communications via 9-1-1 within Orleans Parish. The agency employs over 140 individuals and provides emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch, and emergency police dispatch for the millions of annual visitors and residents of the City of New Orleans. OPCD is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
OPCD Contact:
Marcus W. Creel, MS
OPCD Public Engagement Manager
601.319.2024
mcreel@911nola.org
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