by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 23, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Since we will be attending IWCE 2021 in Las Vegas all of next week, there will not be time to publish a September 30 issue. The Advocate will return the following week with a lot of news and information from the show—Next week, what happens at IWCE in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas!
The wireless community is cautiously returning to live events. APCO was held live in San Antonio and, according to reports, it was well-attended. However, the IACP yearly event that was to be held in person in New Orleans had to be canceled for two reasons. The first was that the Covid-19 epidemic is still not under control in New Orleans. The second reason was that while the convention could probably have been held with safety measures in place, hurricane Ida had other ideas and came ashore a few days before the conference was to start…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
New FirstNet Cell Site Launches in Fillmore County to Support First Responders in Southeastern Minnesota
New Infrastructure Will Help Advance Public Safety, Improve Connectivity for Area Residents and Visitors
What’s the news? First responders in southeastern Minnesota are getting a major boost in their wireless communications thanks to the FirstNet® network expansion currently underway by AT&T. We’ve added a new, purpose-built cell site located in Fillmore County.
This FirstNet site will provide coverage when traveling along State Highway 43 and Alpine Drive near Yucatan between Peterson and Spring Grove. It will also give first responders on FirstNet – America’s public safety network – access to always-on, 24-hours-a-day priority and preemption across voice and data…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
The International Association of Emergency Dispatchers (IAED) is a non-profit standard-setting organization dedicated to promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services around the world.
The IAED, which is made up of three allied Academies for medical, fire, and police dispatching, promotes first-responder research, unified protocol implementation, legislation for emergency call center regulation, and the strengthening of the emergency dispatch community through education, certification, and accreditation.
This article highlights information about International Academies of Emergency Dispatch eligibility, requirements, and cost of each of the IAED certification courses…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Video and Data Analysis Address Risks for Responders
Several key technologies could help to support efforts by police to offload calls that don’t require a law enforcement response.
IDC Worldwide Research Vice President for Public Safety Alison Brooks points to video as a possible enabler. Police could, for example, use a livestream to give mental health professionals eyes on a scene — a potentially safer way of accessing those insights.
“In the traditional ride-along with mental health support, you’re putting that person in the police car and possibly exposing them to an element of danger,” Brooks says. With a video consultation, police can pull in the experts without putting them at risk.
Data analytics may also play a role in driving alternative responses by helping law enforcement understand which approaches work best for different types of calls. “You can use data to shift the response models so that the right people are actually intervening at the right time, including the social services folks,” Brooks says…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 21, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Washington Military Department Joins FirstNet® – America’s Public Safety Network
New Technologies Expand Our Capabilities to Better Serve the State of Washington
The Washington Military Department is connecting its disaster response and emergency management teams to FirstNet – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. With this tech advancement, our state’s first responders and emergency management teams will be equipped with new capabilities and reliable access to critical information while in the field, allowing them to better serve those who live, work and visit Washington…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 20, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
911 dispatcher. Photo by Scary Side of Earth via Flickr
Underfunding and understaffing cripple 911 call centers across the country, and increase the likelihood that incomplete or inaccurate information will trigger a fatal response from police, according to researchers.
Harold Pollack, co-director of the Transform 911 project, said the lack of resources was complicated by the fact that emergency dispatch centers often aren’t on “equal footing” with law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services — a disparity that further undermines their effectiveness.
An average 911 call lasts about ten minutes — not nearly enough time to talk a caller through a mental health crisis, he said…
