Given the E. Grace Street shooting today, this is timely… At the Virginia War Memorial tomorrow…

From City press release:

City of Richmond to Celebrate New 911 Dispatchers at 50th Basic Dispatch Academy Graduation
What: The Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR) will celebrate a major milestone this week with the graduation of its 50th Basic Dispatch Academy Class. The ceremony will honor the city’s newest group of Emergency Communications Officers who have successfully completed months of rigorous training.
Richmond’s Emergency Communications Center is the second-busiest public safety answering point in Virginia, handling more than 450,000 calls for service annually. As crucial members of first response teams, these graduates are ready to start their careers and provide a human lifeline to residents, visitors, and first responders in the field twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Who:
Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Al Wiggins Jr.
Director of the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response Stephen Willoughby
DECPR Staff, graduates, and families.
When: Friday, October 30th, 2026 at 11:00 AM (Media please arrive between 10:30-10:50 AM to set up)
Where: Virginia War Memorial – Veterans Hall, 621 S. Belvidere St, Richmond, VA 23220