by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
Two public-safety leaders were appointed to the board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
The new members include Karima Holmes, director, Office of Unified Communications, Washington, D.C. She supervises all of the district’s emergency 9-1-1 and basic city service 3-1-1 call activities. Holmes led efforts to prepare the district’s dispatch centers to accept next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1).
In addition, the board added Matt Slinkard, executive assistant chief of police, Houston…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
In many cases, dispatcher jobs are considered administrative and not life-saving.
ASPEN, Colo. — On average, 911 dispatchers in Pitkin County take about 1,200 calls a month. Many of those emergencies require life-saving skills before the first responders even arrive, according to Dispatch Commander Brett Loeb.
“We’re often called the first, first responder,” he said.
Across the country, dispatcher jobs are defined as administrative, not life-saving. There’s a bill in Congress called the 911 Safety Act…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
In the age of social media, many parents express frustration that young children don’t use the phone anymore. That’s not true for three special children who were honoured today at Ottawa City Hall.
Alyssa, Chloe, and Liam are all under 12 years old and called 9-1-1 to get help in an emergency. Liam called for help when his mother suffered a seizure and fell down stairs.
Alyssa found her mother unconscious…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
LOS ANGELES, CA — Uber passengers who find themselves stuck in a dangerous situation can now text to 9-1-1 thanks to a new feature on Uber’s app. The ride-hailing service debuted the feature Thursday in Los Angeles County, Minnesota and Indiana.
The company has been under pressure to improve safety measures after a series high-profile attacks. Uber added an emergency 911 call…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
When it comes to helping others, Rick Grandinetti has shown he won’t hesitate.
A 20-year member of the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department and a dispatcher with the county for over a decade, Grandinetti is also a member and past president of the Kinzua Chapter of ABATE (Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education). On Saturday, this community will have a chance to show their support in return.
In July, Grandinetti received a life-altering diagnosis…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 17, 2019 | Comm Center News
Pitkin County is elevating the status of its 911 dispatchers to first responders in a move that outpaces a similar effort on the national level.
“We couldn’t wait for the bill that is stalled in Congress to give our dispatchers the job classification of First Responders that they have earned and deserve,” Emergency Dispatch 911 Commander Brett Loeb said in a press release announcing the reclassification. “Emergency dispatchers are every bit as critical in managing a crisis as our law…
