LYONS, N.Y. (WROC ) — As a 911 dispatcher, Todd Speers knows how to stay calm in a crisis.
“Put yourself in the caller’s shoes,” Todd said. “Try to envision yourself there.”
On May 26 of this year, Todd didn’t have to.
During a late-night shift change, the crisis came to him.
Erie County will receive $1.9 million to upgrade their emergency call centers in preparation for Next Generation 911, a statewide Internet Protocol (IP)-based system designed to improve the way incidents are received and processed.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that the award was part of the $85 NG911 Grant Program, which aims to ensure local agencies can receive and process incidents in line with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) i3 standards, enhancing the state’s ability to accept advanced emergency calls. Each eligible county will receive a base allocation of $1 million, with additional funding distributed according to county population.
People calling 911 won’t see any difference in responses involving Stanislaus County deputies next week, despite prior alarming predictions.
Dispatching will continue as normal for now because a new software system for most other public safety agencies throughout the county needs an upgrade and isn’t ready to be deployed, leaders learned Tuesday.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — The Avondale Police Department is doing what it can to keep up with the city’s rapid growth.
For the past nine months, the agency has been busy updating its Communication Center. Recently, the improvements have been finished, and dispatchers tell 12News it’s like night and day.
The Enhancing First Response Act would recognize dispatchers’ lifesaving role and improve emergency communications infrastructure
