County approves extra funding for Emergency Operations Center (KS)

Lyon County Commissioners approved an additional appropriation to the county’s Emergency Operations Center Thursday during its regularly-scheduled action session.

Flint Hills Community Health Center Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Ringgold and Lyon County Controller Dan Williams made the request for $100,000 in additional funding to help the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are to be paid out of the county’s sales tax fund. It is the second such request for the Emergency Operations Center — which is housed at the Emporia FHCHC Clinic… READ MORE

Next-generation 911 service for Grey-Bruce in the works (Canada)

Life moves on amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Owen Sound, even while most people are focussed on the latest developments in this public health crisis.

Owen Sound Police Service successfully completed its first end-to-end test call through the next-generation 911 emergency system, NG911, on April 3.

The new system will let people text 911 operators and send them photos and video of emergencies, as well as phone them, as they are able to do now. Down the road, people will… READ MORE

APCO Files a Project Initiation and Seeks Work Group Members to Revise the Standard for Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) Deployment

APCO International has filed a Project Initiation with ANSI and has issued a call for participation for work group members to participate in the revision of the APCO Standard for Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) Deployment.

Representatives from APCO, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and public safety communications personnel are invited to participate in the revision of the current standard.

ECCs Will Postpone, Alter, Celebrate NPSTW 2020

Next week, April 12-18, is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and emergency communications centers are divided about how or whether they are celebrating. Our research shows that many are postponing all or most of their celebration due to COVID-19. Even those continuing to recognize the week have had to defer some parts of their celebration, such as awards banquets, open houses and in-person recognition from the first responders they support. The reasons behind each decision are complicated, and there is no right or wrong, just adjusting to the current situation and doing what is best for each particular agency. For…

Butler County 911 Center Creates Backup Dispatch Locations (PA)

Butler County Emergency Services is preparing for the possibility that someone working in the 911 Dispatch Center becomes ill with COVID-19.

The alternate stations are located in the meeting room and two offices at the County’s Emergency Services’ Butler Township facility.

According to Director Steve Bicehouse, if someone in the communications center became ill, the room would be vacated and then sanitized… READ MORE

Public safety heroes: Marianne Hill (VA)

After a bus filled with children caught fire in an accident on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge last year, first responders rushed to the scene. But not all heroes of the moment were on the bridge that day.

Marianne Hill, a veteran dispatcher with the Richmond Communications Center, fielded the call that day and made a swift, difficult decision to break the rules in order to save lives. Rather than call the Richmond Fire Department (RFD) … READ MORE