Poulsbo, WA, April 2026 — Watson, a long-standing partner to Emergency Communications Centers nationwide, is proud to launch its fourth annual Season of Gratitude, running April 12 through May 31, 2026.
What began as a simple gesture has grown into one of Watson’s most anticipated annual traditions. Each year Watson builds on the last, more centers, more reach, more ways to say thank you, and 2026 is no exception.
This year's theme centers on the idea of the B.A.D. - Bad Ass Dispatcher. Bold, a little irreverent, and completely earned, the theme celebrates the resilience, composure, and steady presence dispatchers bring to every shift and every call.
"Gratitude and recognition matter, especially for professionals whose work often happens behind the scenes," said Alexandra Reed, Director of Marketing at Watson. "Dispatchers may not make headlines every day, but they make a difference every day. This season is our chance to say it out loud."
The signature piece of the campaign is the much-anticipated collector badge, this year themed B.A.D. (Bad Ass Dispatcher), designed to celebrate the resilience and grit that defines the profession. Thousands of badges will be distributed to telecommunicators across the country. As part of the badge request process, dispatchers will also have the opportunity to nominate a colleague to receive a curated gift basket — a chance for the community to recognize one of their own. Watson is thrilled to create those opportunities; peer-to-peer moments where the community can show up for each other, not just receive appreciation from the outside.
Watson representatives will head into the field for in-person center visits, a highlight of the season for the team and the centers alike. This year those visits carry particular meaning: two members of the Watson team are former dispatchers themselves, bringing a firsthand understanding of the work to every conversation and every handshake.
Watson's employees, from engineering and manufacturing to sales and support, will participate by writing handwritten cards to dispatchers across the country. The gesture is simple and intentional: the people who build the consoles want the people who use them to know they are seen.
