by ECC Editor | Nov 3, 2021 | Comm Center News
Several counties and cities banded together to better share information and improve 911 capabilities using a cloud-hosted spatial database.
Georgia’s Coastal Regional Commission (CRC), which does orthoimagery and lidar economies-of-scale projects through mutual peer sharing, noticed that the user groups had common problems with complying with Next Generation 911 (NG911) requirements. For instance, emergency response times could take more than 30 minutes when a call came from a hunting camp deep in the woods where there were no road names or geographic information system (GIS) presence… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Nov 2, 2021 | Comm Center News, Video
Meet #Durham911 Dispatcher Dwayne McIntire, who shares more about his career serving in our Durham Emergency Communications Center. Watch for more videos coming soon in our series as we talk about the work, the challenges, and the rewards of serving in the Bull City.
Transcript: My name is Dwayne McIntire, and I am a dispatcher at the Durham Emergency Communications Center. The best thing about being a dispatcher at the Durham Emergency Communications Center is truly being able to make a difference. Sometimes you don’t realize how much of a difference you’re making. However, being able to hear feedback from when people call to say thank you, that you may have saved their relatives’ lives or was able to calm them down, really makes it worthwhile being a dispatcher… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 29, 2021 | Comm Center News
MARIETTA, Ohio. (WTAP) – A Washington County 911 system levy will be on next week’s ballots.
Chief Deputy Mark Warden says this levy is an important part of operating the 911 system. It came into play five years ago due to operating costs surpassing the revenue made. This is due to landlines being used less often on top of the the state’s cap on the cellular 911 surcharge.
Warden says the levy supports equipment, annual maintenance fees, and further growth of the 911 system… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 28, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Every year, millions of 911 calls involve a person experiencing an emergency related to a mental health or substance use disorder—situations often referred to as behavioral health crises.1 How these calls are handled can determine whether the incident ends safely, the person in crisis is arrested, or the person is connected to appropriate care.
The call-takers and dispatchers answering these emergency calls make critical assessments of the health and safety of those involved in each call, decide whether help is needed, and, if it is, determine whether it should be led by law enforcement officers, emergency medical services, or more specialized field responses (if available)… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 26, 2021 | Comm Center News
A state lawmaker will propose legislation for the 2022 session recognizing 911 dispatchers as first responders and supply them help for instances of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rep. Bill Wesley, R-Ravenna, said he will be sponsoring the Lifeliner’s Act, to help spread awareness of work-induced stress, recognize the symptoms of PTSD, and provide resources for telecommunicators for treatment.
“I am calling this bill ‘the Lifeliner’s Act’ because our dispatchers are sometimes the lifeline between our first responders and the life-and-death situations,” he said. “They are our lifeline in every situation. I am so thankful for the brave individuals that selflessly save others.”
Wesley says he respects 9-1-1 dispatchers for the work they do every day. “As a chaplain over six departments, I hear about the many issues they face. When we think of PTSD, we often assume that people who suffer from it all carry a badge or a gun. In this case, that isn’t true… READ MORE
