By Bruce Fitzgerald, Senior Public Safety Advisor, Emergency Management, First Responder Network Authority
The last 18 months have put emergency managers to the test. Managing the pandemic, civil unrest, and natural disasters with reduced budgets and limited resources has required ingenuity, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Relevant, Time-based) practices, strong partnerships, and the help of innovative technologies.
As emergency management agencies turn to mobile broadband tools for greater support, emergency managers are recognizing the need to train, exercise, and properly plan and assess technology usage before, during, and after response. To this end, many emergency managers are looking to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) for help.
The city of Flagstaff has approved a $2.5 million plan to dispatch mental health professionals instead of police officers to certain calls.
It’s a three-year program that will fund behavioral health specialists and paramedics to respond to specific kinds of calls involving, for example, mental health or public intoxication.
We did it! In a few months, a behavioral health specialist and medic will respond to 9-1-1 calls around mental health and public intoxication, diverting calls that don’t require police presence. Council approved the contract with Terros Health. A defining moment for Flagstaff! …
After experiencing serious staff shortages and issues with employee retention, an across-the-board pay increase seems to have helped the York County 911 call center stabilize its payroll.
“Ideally we would like to have call takers and dispatchers, but we’ve had to do double duty,” said Ted Czech, external affairs officer of the York County Office of Emergency Management…
Southborough is considering forming a regionalized emergency services dispatch program with Hudson, Marlborough, Westborough, Grafton and Hopkinton. (Photo/Dakota Antelman)
SOUTHBOROUGH – Southborough took the next step in exploring the possibility of regionalizing its public safety dispatch services Oct. 5.
The study, to be done over six months, will gather data on the feasibility of establishing or joining a regional emergency communications center. The possible collaborating towns are Hopkinton, Hudson, Grafton, Marlborough, Westborough and Southborough.
State 911 funds will be used to cover the study at no cost to the towns…
CENTERVILLE — The Centerville Police Department announced on Thursday that its dispatch center can now accept text messages through its 911 system.
Centerville Police Chief Matt Brown said, “Voice 911 calls are still preferred, but texting offers another option for those with hearing impairments or who cannot safely call 911. It is best to remember call when you can, text when you can’t.”
The 911 texting feature is available for anyone who lives within the city limits of Centerville and West Carrollton…
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.
