EMS departments are struggling statewide, but officials say they’ve gotten worse in the last three months.
PENOBSCOT COUNTY, Maine — Across the state, many emergency medical services departments are critically short-staffed, and that problem only seems to be getting worse.
Dispatchers who answer 911 calls and send out EMS crews said they’re regularly sending ambulances outside of their coverage areas to help cover emergency calls.
Chris Lavoie, Penobscot Regional Communications Center director, said his dispatchers are frequently calling as many as seven different departments to find an available ambulance crew to send to a medical emergency…
That’s when the County Commission unanimously agreed to borrow $19.7 million from the Santa Rosa Beach branch of Trustmark National Bank to cover the bulk of the $26.5 million project. It could be completed by early to mid-2024….
“When you have all of those entities working together it results in a safer and more secure campus,” Holden said.
Several other universities in the region operate under the Department of Public Safety model, including University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University.
The police department employs 12 police officers, several part-time detectives, six dispatchers and a team of officer for community policing and special events. A lieutenant, records technician, customer care center supervisor and two parking attendants are also employed…
Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Tallmadge and Summit County are moving ahead with plans to create a regional dispatch service, even as another potential key player mulls whether to join the operation.
The city of Stow’s participation — or lack thereof — will not change the other communities’ financial contributions to the project or its timeline.
The five entities have discussed consolidating their dispatch services for at least five years, and in early November finalized negotiations…
The Columbus City Council is expected to vote Monday on spending $4 million for new police body cameras, in-car cameras, and interview cameras to upgrade the division’s technology.
The city is not selecting a new vendor yet, but it is setting aside money for the system upgrade. The city will go through a procurement process before selecting a vendor.
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.
