by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 16, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
This year’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was celebrated by agencies across the country this week to honor the service and dedication of the nation’s “first first responders.”
Beginning on April 11, agencies from every section of the public safety community flooded social media with the “thin gold line” and highlighted the dispatchers and 911 operators who offer the crucial first lifeline in any emergency. Fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies shared photos of their “headset heroes” to shine a light on the achievements of first responders who aren’t usually in the public’s view…
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 16, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
The role of the 911 dispatcher has evolved over the years from that of basically a clerical position to one that involves life-saving measures and knowledge.
A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House last week would reclassify public safety dispatchers from Standard Occupational Classification to a Protective Service Classification, just as police, fire and emergency services are…
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 16, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
WASHINGTON — The National 911 Program has published a new resource for dispatchers to better understand Next Generation 911 (NG911) and what to expect as their communications centers make the transition.
“NG911 for Telecommunicators” includes a plain language explanation of what NG911 is and isn’t, information on the changes and benefits NG911 might bring to a dispatcher’s job, advice on how 911 professionals can get involved in the NG911 transition at their center and how to stay updated on the progress of NG911 implementation, according to the National 911 Program. The resource also includes advice on self-care and wellness for public safety telecommunicators.
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 15, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
This week I will be writing about Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) and the $15 billion bill to fund the build-out that is currently included in the much larger infrastructure bill, the LIFT America Act, which was recently introduced in the House of Representatives. The importance of NG911 cannot be overstated. As I have said many times before, I believe implementing NG911 nationwide is critical to providing our first responders with the information they need as they respond to incidents. I see NG911 as the incoming pipe through which citizens will feed the FirstNet broadband pipe that will enable first responders to receive texts, photographs, and even videos as they are responding to incidents…
by ECC Editor | Apr 15, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
United States Fire Administration
It’s been a tough year for everyone, including public safety telecommunicators who have played such an essential role during the COVID-19 pandemic. During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2021, take a moment to tell the #HeadsetHeroes who somehow get it all done with patience, compassion and a smile on their face, “thank you!” for their vital contributions to the emergency services… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 15, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
NIST said Monday that the prototype is intended to help older Land Mobile Radio towers and handsets benefit from wireless Long-Term Evolution (LTE) capabilities including voice, video, text, instant messaging and other data-related features.
The agency noted that the effort is meant to take advantage of LTE-based, mission-critical “push to talk” capabilities while addressing challenges in transition costs. The LTE element s also meant to support key aspects in public safety communications including speaker identification, clear audio, emergency calling and high reliability and availability, according to NIST…