by ECC Editor | Apr 15, 2020 | Articles
A man who was high on heroin and wanted by police came to his sister’s daycare center. A group of deaf people became stranded in the middle of a large lake when their boat’s motor died. A woman was kidnapped by a trucker at a rest stop, sexually assaulted and then left in the back of his cab as he drove.
These are all real stories, and in each situation the people involved either couldn’t call 911 or would have put themselves in jeopardy by doing so…READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Apr 15, 2020 | Articles, Comm Center News
This happens to be National 911 Telecommunicator Week, but instead of celebrating or taking time off, workers in call centers are dealing with an unprecedented challenge.
As social distancing orders become stricter and COVID-19 cases climb, many 911 call centers are confronting an unexpected emergency, keeping telecommunicators healthy and trying to keep up with a historic demand.
30 percent of jurisdictions around the country are reporting higher call volumes during this pandemic. About 3% describe it as a significant… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 15, 2020 | Articles
They often sit in windowless rooms, illuminated only by the eerie glow that emanates from the bank of monitors that face them. Much of what goes on here cannot be heard; muffled by the surgical masks that are increasingly worn under headsets. Today the familiar cans of Diet Coke and Red Bull sit side by side with bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. These are the faceless voices on the front lines of our war against COVID-19. These are the public safety dispatchers…
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 15, 2020 | Articles, Comm Center News
RapidDeploy, in collaboration with Microsoft, enables PSAPs to maintain operations while telecommunicators work from the safety of their homes.
A recent article published by The Hill stated that 90 percent of Americans are now voluntarily or involuntarily staying at home to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Social distancing and self-quarantining are essential to flatten the curve of this unprecedented pandemic. However, survey results as part of…
by ECC Editor | Apr 14, 2020 | Articles
Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. This year we honor the often unsung heroes of public safety, our dispatchers, during the week of April 12-18. Every emergency that a police officer or firefighter responds to either starts with, or is handled by, one of our public safety dispatchers. They are truly on the front line, and are generally the first person a citizen deals with during a crisis… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Apr 14, 2020 | Articles
At the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) annual conference, the organization hosted a professional development session titled 0% Turnover: How the Best 911 Leaders Keep Their Best Employees. The seminar featured Adam Timm, founder of The Healthy Dispatcher, a training company that seeks to help emergency telecommunicators boost leadership skills, better manage stress and thrive in their demanding profession.
Timm worked for the Los Angeles Police Department as a 911 … READ MORE
