by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 7, 2020 | Comm Center News
Audio of the forceful push led by U.S. Park Police to sweep protesters out of Lafayette Square on June 1, moments before President Trump’s visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church, was not recorded by the Park Police radio communications system, the agency said Tuesday.
Steve Souder, a widely respected public safety communications expert who oversaw 911 systems in Arlington, Montgomery and Fairfax counties, said of the Park Police failure, “I find it quite shocking. They want this stuff recorded. They have nothing to hide…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 7, 2020 | Comm Center News
LAPD Chief Michel Moore expressed support for the idea recently, and the department is planning to begin diverting some suicide calls to a phone line run by a mental health organization.
But removing police from all mental health-related calls would reduce the LAPD’s overall footprint in the city only minimally, since they accounted for less than 2% of all calls, according to the analysis. The Times included 911 calls of someone possibly being suicidal in the tally of mental health-related calls…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 7, 2020 | Comm Center News
AMID THE NATIONAL reckoning over systemic racism and policing inspired by the May 25 killing of George Floyd, advocates are calling for a reimagining of American public safety through reforms such as reduced department funding and alternative policing models.
In Eugene, Oregon, a college town of some 170,000 residents, and neighboring Springfield, with some 63,000 residents, one such model has been in place for more than 30 years: A nonprofit mobile crisis intervention program, called CAHOOTS, operates in collaboration with the police department, dispatching social workers instead of officers.
by ECC Editor | Jul 7, 2020 | Comm Center News
During a hostage situation or in the event of an active shooter, it’s important that individuals remain quiet. These are prime examples of some situations where members can’t make a phone call during an emergency. As a whole, what can Vandenberg Air Force Base do to combat a scary yet real concern?
In a time of crisis where it may be more difficult to make a phone call, Text-to-911 can be a lifesaver… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Jul 7, 2020 | Comm Center News
If you were a Verizon Wireless customer attempting to call the Jacksonville Police Department 9-1-1 emergency system Sunday night, chances are your call did not go through.
Assistant City Manager Glenn Hargett sent an emergency release at 9:30 p.m. Sunday explaining Verizon customers were experiencing problems when trying to call the Jacksonville 9-1-1 system. Hargett added telecommunicators were able to call some callers back during the incident and also added the 910-455-4000 non-emergency number as a way for residents to call in emergencies… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 7, 2020 | Articles, Comm Center News
Broke your ankle somewhere in Manitoba’s vast wilderness? Crashed your car on the highway somewhere outside Toronto? With location technology startup What3words, Canadians now have a new way to tell emergency responders exactly where they are — even if they don’t know themselves. And some emergency services in Los Angeles and Arizona have embraced the technology, too.
What3words’ approach is emblematic of just how profoundly smartphones can change our lives. Latitude-longitude coordinates have been around for centuries, but they’re difficult to use, even with GPS satellites whizzing by overhead to pinpoint location…
