Sussex County Public Safety Complex to host 9-1-1 Awareness Day

Georgetown, Del. (4 p.m. Thu., Sept. 25, 2025): Just like its TV counterpart, the world of 9-1-1 is full of compelling moments and heroic stories. But the real-life drama extends for more than just an hour of primetime entertainment, and the public has a chance to experience it up close and in person - not on some Hollywood set, but right here in Sussex County.

The Sussex County Department of Public Safety will host the County's annual 9-1-1 Awareness Day, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at its headquarters, at 21911 Rudder Lane, near Georgetown, to give the public a behind-the-scenes look at how the facility and first responders serve the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

This year's event will feature a fun and information-filled day of safety demonstrations and emergency vehicles on display, from police K-9s subduing pretend perpetrators to fire trucks, EMS units, and police units. The event is free and open to the public.

The event is held annually to give the public a better understanding of how the 911 center operates, as well as showcase how police, firefighters, medical personnel and emergency dispatchers work each day to save lives. The event also attracts hundreds of fifth-grade students from throughout the county, who spend the day watching and taking part in demonstrations that reinforce safety and preparedness.

In addition to tours of the 911 center, as well as the adjoining EMS wing, displays and activities will include the Delaware State Police K-9 team, the Dagsboro Fire Company Safety House, the Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office, the Delaware State Fire School, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Meantime, there will be more than a dozen police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, paramedic units, and County and State mobile command centers on display.

The event is sponsored by Sussex County and the Delaware State Police, which jointly operate the 911 center. For more information, contact Bailey Millman at (302) 855-1000.

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