by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 16, 2019 | Comm Center News
East Texas Council of Governments’ Regional 9-1-1 Program is pleased to announce the availability of Text to 9-1-1 service in Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Marion, Panola, Rains, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood Counties. Text to 9-1-1 is a service that allows citizens to send a text message directly to 9-1-1 for assistance in the event they are unable to make a voice call.
“To ensure the new service functions properly in our 9-1-1 district, our process was to drive the ETCOG region and test Text to 9-1-1 with the four major wireless carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon,” said ETCOG’s Director of Public Safety, Stephanie Heffner. “Once that process was completed, we conducted training with our 9-1-1 call centers. We are now making efforts to inform the public that Text to 9-1-1 is available for use.”
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 16, 2019 | Comm Center News
This is one of those days when I have to question if Rod Serling is not
lurking out there and I’ve crossed over into the “Twilight Zone”. I just
read in the newspaper of record for the Nation’s Capital that a DC
police officer telling a dispatcher there’s a fire at a specific
location isn’t enough information to immediately dispatch fire and EMS.
Instead of sending the DC Fire & EMS Department right away, the
Office of Unified Communications (OUC) needed four-minutes and
one-second to process that call. The OUC director, Karima Holmes, told
The Washington Post that an internal review shows this call, where two
people died, was handled well.
Read More…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
Emergency dispatchers in Phoenix who handle 911 calls will have a place to decompress. The Phoenix Police Department on Tuesday will dedicate a new “quiet room” for 911 operators. Police Chief Jeri Williams and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego will be on hand for the ceremony.
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
CUMBERLAND — As much of the United States observed Patriot Day, a
national day to honor victims of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001,
local emergency communication dispatchers were honored Tuesday in a
separate ceremony to highlight the essential role they play in emergency
services.
In October 1986, Congress approved a law designating September 11 as 9-1-1 Emergency Number Day.
In
recognition of the emergency number system and the dispatchers
dedicated to the critical public service, Allegany County observes the
date to honor Joint Communications Center staff.
Read More…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
BRANCH COUNTY — The Branch County 911 Central Dispatch Board has
approved and sent to the County Commission a proposed new Service
Agreement to operate the consolidated emergency communications for all
of the counties.
The 911 board has chaffed at
the county’s control over salaries for dispatchers which it believes
has to lead to the high turnover of newly trained dispatchers and long
term employees who left for other positions.
The county’s two-tier
hiring program has starting dispatcher salaries at $14.23 an hour
compared to $17.22 an hour in Steuben County, Ind. the next lowest in
the region. In July the turn over got so great there were five vacancies
among the 11 positions which forced overtime and employee burnout.
Read More…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 15, 2019 | Comm Center News, Uncategorized
Nearly three-quarters of the time 911 has been dialed in its
jurisdiction this year, Dufferin OPP has responded to learn that the
call was made in error or by accident.
From January to Aug. 31, Dufferin OPP Const. Shannon
Gordanier reports that officers have responded to a total of 413 calls
made to 911 — of those calls, police report 307, or 75 per cent, were
made in error.
“(This) includes, but is not limited to,
accidental dials, children playing with (the) phone, Apple Watches and
pocket dials,” Gordanier told The Banner.
Read More…
