Keys to Handling a Mass Shooting as a Public Safety Telecommunicator

During a mass shooting, the ECC will be overwhelmed with calls. There will be calls from persons involved in the incident, friends and family of those affected, and potentially the shooter. The telecommunicator must process calls quickly to obtain as much information as possible.

Everyone knows the most crucial piece of information in any call is the location. For mass shootings, this means more than just the location of the incident. Responders need to know the exact location of the shooter. Obtain location within locations. If the caller indicates the shooter is in the breakroom, ask where the breakroom is inside the building. An updated location of the shooter is also essential. As officers enter the location, they need to know where the shooter is in the building…

Public Safety Advocate: FCC’s Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for 4.9 GHz, NG911 Funding Cut, Expanding Inbuilding Coverage, What If?

4.9 GHz

As many are aware, last year the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided public safety was not making sufficient use of the 50 MHz of spectrum in the 4.9-GHz band the Commission had made available to the public-safety community for Wi-Fi-type services starting in 2002.

The FCC’s idea was to assign the spectrum to each state and each state could then award a master lease for the spectrum. The successful leaseholder would then be able to determine how the spectrum would be used within that state, and supposedly protect existing public-safety users of the spectrum.

The Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) filed a number of comments and then filed a request for stay to prevent the FCC from moving forward with its intended plan. In 2021, the new FCC implemented the stay order and to a limited extent, began permitting public safety to once again license systems for use in the 4.9-GHz band…

Durango and Montrose interagency wildfire dispatch centers could close down (CO)

Durango and Montrose interagency wildfire dispatch centers could close down (CO)

 

Proposal recommends consolidation from six dispatch centers to three in Colorado

Under a dispatch consolidation proposal by the Rocky Mountain Coordinating Group, the Durango and Montrose Interagency Dispatch Centers could be closed down.

Colorado has six interagency dispatch centers, which coordinate wildfire response and other emergencies.

To improve efficiencies, the coordinating group released a recommendation Oct. 27 to reduce the centers from six to three, keeping locations in Grand Junction and Fort Collins, and building a new one in Colorado Springs…

Sheriff’s Office recruiting for Emergency Communications Center (FL)

Sheriff’s Office recruiting for Emergency Communications Center (FL)

BROOKSVILLE – If you can keep a level head during an emergency, are good at multi-tasking, want to help others and deliver great customer service, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office wants to hear from you.

According to a press release, the agency will be holding a dual-purpose recruiting event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, at Rural King, 2468 Commercial Way, Spring Hill.

Representatives of the HCSO will be there to discuss the opportunities available in 9-1-1 and Dispatch, the release said…

Phoenix police and fire departments are looking to hire more 911 dispatchers (AZ)

Phoenix police and fire departments are looking to hire more 911 dispatchers (AZ)

Cover picture for the article

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Fire Department and Phoenix Police Department are in need of more 911 dispatchers and are looking to hire dozens of people.

In total, they are looking to fill 66 positions.

“I consider our dispatch center the nucleus of every call,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller.

He added that even with the many open positions, call times are not being impacted as their current operators are working extra hours to fill the need… READ MORE