More than 80% of first responders said that interoperability – the ability to communicate with other agencies across differing technologies – is of “critical” or “somewhat” concern, according to a November 2021 survey by Verizon.
Despite the pervasive presence and accessibility public messaging apps to enable interoperability, the use of these consumer programs among police and first responders poses significant workplace and legal risks. And unfortunately, an overwhelming number of public safety employees use consumer apps, along with SMS texting, for work-related communications – breaking the law while doing so without realizing it…
For first responders at MedStar, no day is ever the same, and not every day is high-intensity. But there’s one thing that remains the same day in and day out when they clock in for their 12-hour shifts — maybe they’ll help save or change a life that day — and that alone is enough to make them love what they do. The Metropolitan Area EMS Authority, also known as MedStar, serves millions of people in Tarrant County across 15 cities. The ambulance service responds to upwards of 155,000 calls per year with its 65 emergency vehicles, 550-person staff and an efficient operations system that other ambulance service providers from 46 states and five countries have come to Fort Worth to pick up tips from…
Pay raises could soon be coming to Broward 9-1-1 dispatchers as commissioners address the critical shortage in the call center. There are dozens of vacancies and that means emergency calls are delayed or could go unanswered. Broward Mayor Michael Udine says they already have the 4-million needed to boost salaries and increase morale. And once they address the staff shortages they can look into running the center more efficiently. Besides raises, Sheriff Tony says he would like to hire at least eighty-three dispatchers to have the 534 he wants on staff. The current starting pay in Broward is around 37-thousand-dollars a year, compared to 51-thousand to start in Palm Beach County…
PADUCAH- Millions of dollars of improvements are needed to get the Paducah-McCracken County 911 Center up to standard. Members of the joint city-county 911 Oversight Committee had a very candid conversation during their meeting on Monday about what would happen if the system were to fail.
The center is imperative to keeping the public safe. Paducah Fire Department Chief Steve Kyle informed the board, if the current Windows XP system used in the center goes down the impact would be huge…
Minneapolis 911 dispatchers and operators combined to log more than 4,600 hours of overtime over a three-month period this year, according to records obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Of the 50 Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center employees listed, 16 individually logged more than 100 hours of overtime over the months of February, March and April. One has put in 380 hours, another 265 hours and a third 245 hours of overtime…
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
