How prepared are public safety departments for a summer spike in 911 calls?

by | Jun 14, 2022 | Comm Center News

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — As summer activities ramp up, some are concerned about first responders’ ability to handle an increase in calls.

“Public safety is at a crisis here,” said Beth Fulks, a former 911 operator.

For years, Fulks was the voice at the other end of residents’ 911 calls, but on Monday, she became one of the more than three dozen employees who have left the Wake-Raleigh Emergency Communications Center since April 2021.

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Austin 911 has successfully transferred thousands of mental health calls to crisis clinicians (TX)

by | Jun 11, 2022 | Comm Center News

Austin 911 operators have successfully diverted thousands of calls to crisis clinicians as part of a program to better address mental health calls, according to a memo from Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon.

APD’s Emergency Communications Center developed the Mental Health Crisis Call Diversion (CCD) program in 2019, in collaboration with Austin-Travis County Integral Care.

Last year, 82% of calls with a mental health crisis component were “diverted,” meaning clinicians were able to help the caller without the need to send a police officer.

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FCC Examines Location-Based Routing for Wireless 9-1-1 Calls (MD)

by | Jun 10, 2022 | Comm Center News

The Federal Communications Commission launched an examination into the state of technology that can more precisely route wireless 9-1-1 calls to the proper 9-1-1 call center, resulting in faster response times during emergencies.

In these cases, the call could go to a 9-1-1 call center in that neighboring jurisdiction, not the call center that serves the caller’s location. These wireless 9-1-1 calls must then be re-routed to the proper 9-1-1 call center, which can waste valuable time and resources during emergencies.

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Arizona has begun the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1

by | Jun 10, 2022 | Comm Center News

 The State of Arizona has begun the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (“NG911”) services to the Public Safety Answering Point (“PSAP”) communities across the state. NG911 will come in two parts Next Generation Core Services (“NGCS”) and new Call Handling Equipment (“CHE”). Through the use of NGCS, the State of Arizona will be able to offer a seamless, coordinated, and efficient NG911 system to all the State’s local 911 centers. The State 911 Program has also established a statewide contracting vehicle to allow for PSAPs across the state to procure NENA I3-compliant CHE.

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