A recently dismissed
dispatcher for the Fredericksburg Police Department has been accused of
providing sensitive information to the targets of police investigations.
Karen
Lakisha Stephenson, 40, is charged with two felony drug-related charges
and two misdemeanor counts of obstructing justice. She is being held in
the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
City
police spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said she could not comment on the
Stephenson case in part because it is being investigated by the Virginia
State Police.
The app is your conference at a glance. It will give you updates and notifications for schedule changes, reminders of key activities, and is right at your fingertips. Did you know the app has:
A note-taking feature for jotting down key takeaways during sessions
A calendar to add your bookmarked events to your customized schedule
Maps for finding your way through the conference hall and vendor booths
A search feature to find speakers or topics
A search feature to find attendees you’ve met that you want to reconnect with later
Social network sharing integration
Many of the presentation handouts that can be downloaded
Dress for Success
Conference venues are often cool, even when it is hot outside. A lightweight jacket or long-sleeve shirt worn as a jacket is the solution, and can be easily stowed in a purse or conference bag.
You will walk a lot. We cannot emphasize enough for first-timers how much walking is involved. Comfortable shoes are a must. This is not the time to break in a new pair of shoes.
Unless your agency requires it, uniforms are not necessary, but you can never go wrong by representing your agency in uniform. Comfortable, business-casual is acceptable wear.
Dress to impress when networking or possibly job-hunting (yes, even at a conference).
Bring something appropriate for a fancy restaurant (just in case) and check the dress code for any establishments you plan to visit outside the conference venue.
Become Familiar With the Venue Layout
Take some time after registering to wander around the venue and take note of important locations such as primary exits, access to the parking garage, bathrooms, the main hall for super sessions, vendor hall, escalators and elevators, smoking areas, food vendors and breakout sessions halls.
If you are with a group and want to connect there, check the map ahead of time and select a spot to meet.
Look for the companies that provide services to your center and mark their location so you don’t miss visiting with them.
Plan Your Session Attendance
Take time to become familiar with the educational session categories and then make a plan to diversify.
Choose sessions that are outside of your comfort zone.
Divide and conquer — it is tempting to stick together with a co-worker at the conference, but resist the urge and split up so you can collectively attend more sessions.
Take notes and make a plan for sharing them later.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions at the end of the session.
Remember — if you have more than one session you want to attend at the same time, there is an opportunity during the conference to purchase recordings of the sessions to access later.
Coming and Going In Style
Peek inside before entering a session if the doors are already closed — most conference rooms are set up to open at the back of the room, but sometimes you find yourself making a grand entrance, stage right.
Be considerate if you enter a session late — stick to the back of the room or quickly and quietly pick the nearest available seat.
If you need to leave a session early, quietly gather belongings first then slip out during a natural pause in the speaker’s presentation.
Don’t let the door slam behind you as you are coming or going once a session has started — help it close slowly and quietly.
If you are late, make sure you have your badge scanned as you leave to ensure you receive credit for attending.
Exhibit Hall Strategy
Carry your conference bag to collect promotional giveaways, information sheets, etc.
Bring business cards to drop into prize drawing boxes (so you don’t have to fill out those little slips of paper).
Use the vendor map in the app to orient yourself to the conference f loor layout.
Make several trips — go from left to right, and then right to left up and down every aisle. You will see different things every time.
The vendors want you to take their promotional items, but be courteous about the quantity you take; ask if you aren’t sure it is a give-away and remember to say thanks.
Some promotional items are meant to be given as a prize after sitting through a short demonstration or product review — play the game if you want the prize.
Interact with the vendors — we can’t have this amazing conference without them. Spend some time with them and learn about products you may not know are out there.
Christine Burke Massengale, ENP, is the statewide Dispatch Coordinator for the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s four consolidated dispatch centers, operating under the direction of the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN). She is the Vice-Chair of the APCO Editorial Committee and has written several articles for PSC. She is also an instructor, and regularly presents topics at state, regional, and national conferences.
Cheryl Konarski, CPE, RPL, is a 30+ year veteran of public safety, currently serving as the communications manager for the Joplin Police Department Emergency Communications Center. Cheryl is the chair of the APCO Editorial Committee, has served on APCO PDEC and Historical Committees, and is the treasurer of the Missouri Chapter of APCO. She is a graduate of APCO CPE Class 03 and the APCO RPL program. She presents throughout the State of Missouri as well as nationally.
Another county office is battling an attack on its computers. This time.. it’s the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office. Over the weekend.. a malware virus infected its computer system and that virus has directly impacted the Vigo County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center. News 10’s Jada Huddlestun is live at the Vigo County Jail. She joins us now to break down what happened.
OTTAWA
COUNTY, MI—For those who work as 9-1-1 operators, it’s not a matter of
if they’re going to hear something traumatic, but when.
“Not
everybody can do this job,” said Megan Ross, who works as a dispatcher
for Ottawa County. “Some people can, some people can’t, and there’s no
middle ground. When we pick up the phone, we don’t know what we’re going
to get.”
Ross has spent the last 16 years working for Ottawa
County Central Dispatch, acting as the very first responder in countless
emergencies. She said when you’re taking hundreds of calls a day like
that, resilience is the key to being good at the job
Citing the state’s desire to upgrade California’s analog 9-1-1 system microwave network to a digital platform, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently touted a $1 billion investment in emergency preparedness and response funding.
During a 9-1-1 call center tour at the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, Newsom said new funding included in the 2019 budget act to modernize 9-1-1 systems across the state would aid in better preparation to help those in need during emergencies and natural disasters.
“During my first week in office, I proposed making crucial updates to modernize our antiquated 9-1-1 system,” he said. “The idea that it’s 2019, and we are using analog systems designed decades ago is astounding. We need to make investments to make sure the technology aligns with devices people are using daily.”
California’s network of 9-1-1 systems uses pre-Internet and pre-cellphone era technology that has proven to be unreliable, hindering the ability of dispatchers and emergency responders and threatening lives. Over the last year, there have been an average of thirteen 9-1-1 outages per month, equaling 22,705 minutes when 9-1-1 was not available.
Four new Anoka County Central
Communications dispatcher positions were unanimously approved the Anoka
County Board July 23 in response to a spike in 911 calls this year.
According
to Dee Guthman, deputy county administrator, dispatchers are dealing
with a very high volume of calls right now, and more dispatchers are
needed immediately to deal with them.
The
county has not increased the central communications dispatcher staffing
in at least four years, Guthman told the management committee..
In an interview, Guthman said call volumes through the end of June are 14,000 more than in the same period a year ago.
There are currently 36 dispatchers in the central communications department who work 12-hour shifts.
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
