July 28, 2025 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Danielle Harris, ENP, CMPC Ingham County 911
Danielle Harris, ENP, CMCP, a supervisor with Ingham County 911 in Michigan, has turned her passion for public safety into a powerful force for community outreach and digital engagement. Recognized as APCO Michigan’s 2024 Supervisor of the Year, Harris is leading efforts to modernize how emergency communications centers connect with both the public and potential recruits. Her journey began in 2013 as a dispatcher and quickly evolved. By 2015, she was a Communications Training Officer (CTO), and in 2018, she discovered a passion for recruitment and education. Promoted to supervisor in 2022, Harris now leads Ingham County’s outreach and recruiting initiatives, co-managing a TikTok account that’s reshaping how people perceive 911 dispatch work.
Harris recently shared her insights in a presentation titled “TikTok… The Time to Start Your Community Engagement is Now!” at the APCO conference. Her talk highlighted how public safety agencies can increase visibility and trust through both digital platforms and in-person interaction without straining their budgets. At the core of Ingham County 911’s efforts is a staff-driven outreach team made up of volunteer dispatchers who attend local events. The dual mission is simple: engage the community and recruit future employees. “People still say, ‘I had no idea that 9-1-1 was a career,’” Harris noted, underscoring the ongoing need to educate the public about the profession.
To help other agencies build similar programs, Harris offered a five-step outreach strategy: identify team members who enjoy public interaction, seek out events proactively, build relationships with outreach partners, invest in eye-catching giveaways, and stay consistent because success builds over time. Interactive tools are central to her team’s efforts. From giant Jenga with 9-1-1-themed questions to school visits and scout presentations, their activities are designed to be both fun and educational. Harris noted that second-grade classrooms have been their most receptive audience, making them a key focus for early public education efforts.
Digital storytelling is equally important. Ingham County 911 uses video to demystify dispatch work and highlight the tools they use, such as location software and video-to-911 capabilities. One video, capturing a ghost-hunting rescue, even gained national attention. Their social media strategy spans multiple platforms: Facebook is used for formal updates and milestones, Instagram for community events, and TikTok for relatable, behind-the-scenes content. Harris advised staying current with trends, collaborating with other departments, and maintaining professionalism in all interactions. Above all, she stressed that outreach takes time, encouraging agencies to stay committed and authentic. “Lean into the things that make your dispatchers dispatchers,” Harris said as she closed out her presentation.
Written by Sharon Miller
