GOSHEN, Ind. (WNDU) – Fairgoers are enjoying the last few days of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.
The incident response team works tirelessly to make sure everyone can feel safe.
16 News Now shows us a new strategy they’re using to respond to emergencies quicker than ever before.
This is the command post just across the parking lot from the fair where the incident response team operates…
Franklin County commissioners met Tuesday with city leaders from Washington, Pacific and Sullivan to convince them to join the county’s new emergency dispatch center.
Union and St. Clair are using the new dispatch center to coordinate police, fire and ambulance calls, but Washington, Pacific and Sullivan have their own public safety answering points (PSAP). The center is housed at the Franklin County Adult Detention Center in Union and was part of a recent $30 million expansion and renovation project…
—County residents can use the Text-to-911 emergency notification service, which allows people to text rather than call during a crisis. It is especially beneficial to people who have hearing and speech impairments, said Erin Brockus, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
Ventura County residents have a new way to seek help in an emergency. As part of the Text to 911 service, they can send a text and reach the dispatch centers of all county law enforcement and fire agencies.
In-building coverage is a significant challenge for first-responder emergency communications, according to an International Fire Chiefs Association report based on a Safer Buildings Coalition survey conducted in 2018. According to the report, 98% of emergency responders said that they were having problems with their communication because of dead spots in a building, while 56% said they were experiencing complete communication failures at sites.
There are several factors that cause these in-building communications difficulties for public safety, beginning with the reality that many buildings prevent the receipt or transmission of LMR (Land Mobile Radio) and FirstNet messages, based on construction elements and/or building configuration. Cellular and LMR towers may do an excellent job at transporting the signal, but building materials like rebar, cement, brick, LEED glass, and metal can prevent the signal from reaching a first responder’s device…
Converting the county’s emergency radio communications systems to the Michigan Public Safety Communication System is anticipated to cost millions of dollars, but is necessary to bring Hillsdale County online with interoperability with surrounding jurisdictions.
Branch County is already in the process of transitioning to the 800 MHz band for emergency communications and should be online later this year.
When that’s completed, Hillsdale County will officially “sit on an island” by continuing the use of older UHF or analog communications systems which do not work well in some portions of Hillsdale County…
