Top Comm Center Headlines
Proposed fire dispatch deal could save Sooke thousands of dollars (Canada)
The City of Langford’s decision to strike out on its own for emergency fire dispatch services will likely put more cash in the pockets of Sooke taxpayers. Langford has operated a joint fire dispatch service for nine years with Sooke, Highlands, Metchosin, Salt Spring...
Atlanta airport reverses course, hiring Emergency Medical Dispatchers after 11Alive investigation (GA)
After insisting an EMD program would be 'too challenging,' airport officials are planning to train all 911 dispatchers to handle medical calls. COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now hiring Emergency Medical Dispatchers and EMD...
Arlington auditor abandons study of sheriff’s-office overtime (VA)
On second thought . . . well, never mind. The Arlington County government auditor, Chris Horton, has received permission to abandon an in-progress look at overtime costs at the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. The audit began prior to the pandemic, and with its...
FCC votes to prevent authorization of equipment deemed a risk
WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission, which plays an important role in protecting the security of America's communications networks, today proposed rules that would prohibit all future authorizations for communications equipment deemed to pose an...
River Rouge police dispatcher says she was fired after racial harassment (MI)
RIVER ROUGE, Mich. (FOX 2) - "I felt uncomfortable, I am already frightened to go to work," Felicia Beard said. "I was already intimidated." Felicia Beard worked for the River Rouge Police Department for 17 years, but the 911 dispatcher says the racism,...
SOMA Wearable Tracks First Responders’ Location, Biometrics
“The smartwatch will complement SOMA’s broader “Public Safety as a Service” cloud platform, which includes dispatch, emergency response, data interoperability, and jail management components.” Law enforcement tech specialist SOMA Global has announced a new smartwatch...
Council supports KPD scanner encryption (HI)
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council voiced support for the Kaua‘i Police Department’s continued efforts to encrypt dispatch communications. KPD Chief Todd Raybuck said that it’s “pretty common knowledge where our officers are assigned and how many officers we have on...
County announces $6.8 million public safety radio improvement project for Humboldt (CA)
HUMBOLDT, Calif. — Humboldt County announced Thursday a new project to improve their public safety radio system as they said communication is critical during an emergency and the project is long overdue. The project focuses on the system linking first responders...
San Ramon Police, Fire, 911 Dispatchers To Get A New Home (CA)
SAN RAMON, CA — Construction is now underway on the San Ramon Public Safety Complex. It kicked off with a recent groundbreaking ceremony at 2401 Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon, where the complex will be located. The 9,800-square-foot building will house the San Ramon...
Newton County breaks ground on tower for incoming E-911 radio system (GA)
OXFORD, Ga. — Next summer, public safety radio dead spots across Newton County will be no more. County officials and first responders gathered outside Newton County Fire Station No. 9, located at 176 Mt. Zion Road in Oxford, on Thursday to break ground on the...
County Upgrading 9-1-1 Infrastructure (VA)
When an emergency occurs, it's important that calls are sent to the right place and personnel are able to locate those involved. Upgrading 9-1-1 infrastructure can help with these tasks. Prince William County will switch to Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network...
Erie County Department of Public Safety launches new mobile app for first responders (PA)
Erie, PA – The Erie County Department of Public Safety has launched a new mobile application called CrewForce, which aids first responders who are responding to an emergency by providing access to mission-critical information in real time. CrewForce provides a vital...
Lexington County enhances 9-1-1 services and emergency notification with Smart911 (SC)
Lexington, SC 06/16/2021 - Emergency Service officials in Lexington County have announced that Smart911 is now available to all individuals. Smart911 is a free service that allows individuals and families to sign up online to provide key information to County 9-1-1...
‘What if it had been me?’: Man tries Durham 911 call center three times — all go unanswered (NC)
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh man tried to call 9-1-1 three times on his way into Durham Wednesday when he came upon a wreck but couldn't get through to anyone. Josh Privette said he was headed to dinner on Highway 70 and saw a car stopped that had its airbags out...
Little Elm eyes mobile command unit (TX)
The town of Little Elm will soon have another tool to help with emergency response. The Town Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of a mobile command center from Farber Specialty Vehicles in the amount of $599,853. According to the town, the 38-foot-long vehicle...
New technology allows first responders to listen in on 911 calls (NV)
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is the first law enforcement agency in the State of Nevada to deploy Live911 technology. Developed by Higher Ground, Live911 allows first responders to hear the 911 calls as they are being answered by dispatchers in real-time. This...
New tool uses smartphone GPS to find 911 callers in N.W.T. (Canada)
A new tool to help 911 dispatchers has already helped save a life in the Northwest Territories. RapidSOS is a data platform that helps first responders locate callers by tracking the GPS on their smartphones. The 911 division in the N.W.T. government started using...
New Communications Centre Completed In Raymond Terrace (Australia)
COMMUNICATION is vital, especially during natural disaster incidents. For Port Stephens there is an ongoing collaboration of agencies where Marine Rescue assists the Rural Fire Service with radio communications playing a major role during bushfire events. The Public...
Apple Watches, phones accidentally dialing up trouble for dispatch (MI)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Don’t bump the buttons: That’s the message from emergency dispatchers across the country as they deal with a large number of accidental calls to 911 from Apple products. “You’re having people, I’m assuming, that are just double tapping...
Westfield City Council Legislation and Ordinance Committee moves regional dispatch (MA)
WESTFIELD and SOUTHWICK – The Westfield City Council Legislation and Ordinance Committee (L&O) June 9 discussed the proposed plan to implement a regional dispatch center for Westfield and Southwick. After the IMA is approved by both the City Council and the Select...
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WATCH: @MilfordPoliceDE Lt. Edward Huey explains why reliable mobile broadband is critical for officers and how priority and preemption on @FirstNet benefit emergency and disaster response.
Hear more from Lt. Huey about his agency’s use of #FirstNet: https://soundcloud.com/user-472553784/episode-51-firstnet-powers-mission-critical-capabilities-for-delaware-police-officers
DYK? @NISTPublicSafeT hosts grant and prize challenges aimed at advancing and developing tech for #publicsafety. Learn about these contests on this episode of the Public Safety First podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-472553784/episode-35-tech-for-good-prize-challenges-for-public-safety
And tune in to #PSCR2021 for updates and winner announcements!
The contributions of refugees in America are clear—they start businesses, serve in our military, and work as #frontline healthcare workers.
This #WorldRefugeeDay, let's express our support for those yearning to make America their safe home. We all benefit when we embrace them.
Opinions
73-year-old woman’s agonizing wait for help after calling 911 (FL)
On April 20 at approximately 11 a.m. a 73-year-old woman fell at her home on County Road 109 (Oakland Hills). After falling she was able to get herself to her cell phone and placed a call to 911. Upon making contact with the dispatch center for American Medical...
They Have Your Six
Michael Mendoza
No matter the agency, we all have the officer that complains that
we are picking on them. We all know it’s mainly because it’s in their beat or
sector or they are the closest unit. It’s also because we are too busy with pending calls to care if their
feelings are hurt. A few of us make these officers feel our wrath by sending
them from one side of town to the other, fielding every report under the sun.
How many of us are envisioning the officer we want to do that to?
Ultimately, we all want every one of our officers to go home, and
we all want to catch the bad guy and be the best dispatcher we can be for our
residents, right?
In 2010, my agency went through some changes. Uncomfortable
changes I couldn’t get past. My lack of maturity and perspective got me in
trouble, and I decided to leave. A few years went by and I had to grow up. What
I learned was that in the end, the only one that had control over my life and
my future was me. I returned to the career I loved and from that point on I
decided I was going to outlive the BS.
Seven years later, several people in my agency are unhappy and
quitting. Reflecting on my unhappier times, I, like many of my current co-workers,
would project the blame of my problems onto others, believing they’re picking
on me. After this reflection I realized that every time I was acting out or
complaining, I was being the jerk officer grumbling about my dispatcher.
On the flip side, one of our officers will go through calls, clearing
them as quickly as possible, and we seldom hear a complaint. She just does her
job. Unfortunately, we take advantage of this type of officer. Like her, once I
was back in the headset again, I dove in headfirst, going above and beyond with
every opportunity I could. I got overwhelmed. I was doing great at work, but I
wasn’t doing so great at home. At that point, I decided I was just going to dispatch.
As dispatchers we are seldom thinking about the environment that
we are creating for our responders. We’re constantly focused on our duties, forcing
responders to milk calls to take care of their personal needs. That’s the
environment we create. We’re focused on the task at hand and less on the hands
that take care of the task.
We all have a dispatcher in our lives. For some of us it’s a supervisor,
sergeant, or even the dispatch manager. We get frustrated because they don’t
see it from our end. They don’t understand our needs. We fail to realize that they’re
our dispatchers; not literally, but they’re focused on the task at hand and
less on the hand that takes care of the task.
None of this is meant for you to go home and fix everything.
The purpose is for you to have a little more understanding, compassion,
and perspective.
Understand there’s always another motivation but the end goal is
still the same—to give the best service to the citizens that you are there to serve
and protect.
If you are the employee: You’re not just another butt in a seat, you are someone’s hero and protector. You have their six. Likewise, understand that your supervisor or manager (or whoever) is your dispatcher, and they’ve got your six too.
About the Author
Michael Mendoza is a Texas Master Telecommunicator with over 10 years in the industry and Texas Commission of Law Enforcement (TCOLE) certified trainer.
Listen To We Speak Dispatch Podcast Online At PodParadise.com
We Speak Dispatch is a group of 911 professionals discussing topics from the headlines, topics that are fun and interesting, topics that you care about. Our engaging conversations are designed to inspire more conversations, so if you have a topic you’d like to see...
Our Opinion: The hidden heroes (MO)
We join local law enforcement agencies in celebrating the “hidden heroes” — the telecommunications operators whose behind-the-scenes work is just as important as police you see out on the streets. This week is National Telecommunicators Week, which occurs every year...
Voices Above The Storm
Much has been written about the guardians who serve us daily: the police, fire fighters, and EMS personnel. Their positive contributions to our wellbeing are often profound … and visible. Yet there is another class of sentinels whose contributions are just as...
LETTER: Honor our local telecommunicator superheroes (MO)
Dallas County 911 is preparing to honor our dispatchers during National Telecommunicator Week starting April 11. In October 1991, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials received a congressional and presidential proclamation designating the second...
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