MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — The Mobile County Communications District (MCCD), the county’s 9-1-1 emergency communications center, has become the first 9-1-1 service in Alabama to achieve accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a nationally recognized credentialing authority for public safety agencies.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Local emergency officials believe a new, unified 911 dispatch center in the northwest valley will improve response and coordination among agencies. I spoke with Clark County Fire Chief Billy Samuels about how this new facility could make for a swifter response in your time of need and what sparked the idea for this inter-agency collaboration.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire and EMS units ideally arrive within about four minutes — and paramedics within eight minutes — 90% of the time. Local factors, including staffing, call volume, traffic, and weather, can affect response times.

A Northampton County 911 dispatcher is being celebrated for helping an armed man with dementia surrender safely to police on Thursday. The 71-year-old allegedly held a handgun toward his wife Thursday afternoon as he stood in a hallway of their Lehigh Township home, police said.

“We truly appreciate your advocacy for Guthrie and for all of District Five. This is a great day for our city,” Faulkner said in the closing remarks.

In an emergency, we pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1 without much thought as to whether someone will answer. 

Centers that earn ACE status are the embodiment of dispatching done right, and have demonstrated strong local oversight, rigorous quality assurance processes and a commitment to data-driven continuous improvement. 

“Every 911 call represents someone who needs help, and our job is to deliver calm, professional and life-saving assistance,” said Jeff Williford, director of emergency communications. “IAED accreditation reflects the dedication of our telecommunicators and our continued focus on quality, accountability and public safety. I’m extremely proud of our team and the service they provide our community every day.”

“We’re going to do CPR, OK?” asked dispatcher Sophia Zervos. “Are you with your child right now?”

These data sources can come from 911 calls, Internet of Things technology, and other software systems used by first responders.

“All of that connects to the CAD. And with the legacy CAD system we had that wasn’t necessarily [the case],” Saur said. “There was some legacy connections. But as technology changes rapidly, they’re looking for interfaces that a cloud connection can easily do.”

A central component of the game-day strategy is the FirstNet Response Operations Group™ (ROG), a team of former first responders embedded directly with public safety command to support operational decision-making and critical communications. ROG personnel are on site at the stadium and positioned within Emergency Operations Centers in Santa Clara and San Francisco, enabling rapid coordination, scenario planning, and real-time response.

If something should happen to the community’s primary Emergency Communications Center, a backup facility at the new Fire Station 5 will provide a second fully functioning call center.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is extending his well-wishes to 23 students graduating from the South Dakota Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course. “We can never take telecommunicators for granted,” said Attorney General Jackley. “They are the first voice people hear when they call for assistance.”

Centre County has secured $1 million in federal funds to begin modernizing the emergency radios that connect first responders in the field with the county’s 911 dispatch system.

The county says the broader replacement effort will cost about $4.5 million and is appealing to its municipalities and state legislators to help close the remaining $3.5 million gap.

“When seconds count, communication saves lives,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), the Co-Chair for the Law Enforcement Caucus and member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “By clawing back more than $1 million of Bergenfield families’ own federal tax dollars, we’re making sure our first responders have reliable, modern communications equipment to protect our community — while also delivering real tax relief for our community.”