Ex-dispatcher upset that Berkeley County altered her resignation letter
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — When Meghan Dunleavy emailed Berkeley County on July 1 to resign as an emergency dispatcher, she also expressed concern, writing that she was getting away from a “toxic” work environment.
The county last week posted a shortened version of her resignation letter on its website — after deleting her criticism of the department and Berkeley County Central Dispatch/911 Director Mary Kackley.
Berkeley County Council Attorney Norwood Bentley acknowledged the change on Monday, saying the county posted a “redacted version.”
He said the full original email wasn’t released, at least in part, because Dunleavy’s critical statements of Kackley “could potentially be the basis of an inquiry of Ms. Kackley.”
What does FirstNet ready mean for you?
Obtain these three rights to implement FirstNet into your emergency response communications system
By Tim Nowak
One of the challenges observed after 9/11 concerned emergency response communications … particularly in the presence of a disaster. Congested zones, damage to the infrastructure, inconsistent platforms; these challenges are not only present during a disaster, but also on a daily basis for some communities.
Rush-hour traffic at 4 p.m., providing medical staffing at a professional sporting event, or shuffling through the aftermath of a hurricane or major storm – these are just a few of the seemingly “regular” instances during which many emergency services experience a breakdown in the communications network.
This article was written by Tim Nowak and appears in ems1.com dated July 10, 2019. To read the full article please click on the button below.
Bill to Reclassify 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Passes House as Part of NDAA
Bill to Reclassify 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Passes House as Part of NDAA
The 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act (911 Saves Act) sponsored by Reps. Norma Torres and Brian Fitzpatrick would direct the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reclassify 9-1-1 telecommunicators and dispatchers in the federal government’s Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) System.
The bill was included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2020, which passed the House with a vote of 220-198. The bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Torres, who used to be a 9-1-1 professional, said on Twitter that she was pleased with the bill’s inclusion into the NDAA and the subsequent passage of the bill in the house.
“It’s an important first step to give the nation’s 100,000 public-safety telecommunicators their due and reclassify them as ‘protective service occupations,’ ” Torres tweeted.
The OMB currently classifies 9-1-1 dispatchers and call-takers as office and administrative support occupations. OMB declined to change the classification of those workers in 2017 and since then, public-safety organizations such as the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International have pushed for legislators to change the classification.
In a statement, APCO praised the inclusion of the 911 Saves Act in the NDAA but cautioned that the bill’s future is still uncertain.
“While a welcome development, the process forward for the NDAA is complex and uncertain,” the statement said. “It will require reconciliation with the Senate version, and the NDAA has many defense-related provisions in dispute.”
APCO said it would continue to support efforts to keep the act as part of the NDAA as it moves through the process, as well as efforts to pass the 911 Saves Act through the House and Senate as separate legislation from the NDAA.
NENA praised its members for the work they’ve done in contacting legislators to about reclassifying 9-1-1 professionals. The organization said 12,500 of its members have contacted legislators a total of 40,000 times about the issue.
“On behalf of more than 100,000 9-1-1 professionals across the nation, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association thanks Reps. Torres and every member of Congress who supported this important measure,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. “Our members have long advocated for an accurate statistical classification for 9-1-1 professionals to support critical research into the mental and physical impacts of 9-1-1 jobs. Now, the action moves to the U.S. Senate, where we hope all members will support this non-partisan, cost-free measure that reflects the respect and support the American public has for its 9-1-1 professionals, who answer more than 240 million calls for help every year.”
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Putnam County 9-1-1 Center merger proceeds
CARMEL – Earlier this year plans to merge the Putnam County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center with the sheriff’s office dispatching division were met with great optimism and a request has been made by the Bureau of Emergency Services to transfer grant funds to purchase three consoles for the advanced center received unanimous support.
The consoles will be needed for the extra personnel manning the center once the merger takes place.
Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services Robert Lipton was asked about which agency would oversee the new center once it is finalized. He said no decision had been reached regarding the supervision.
Currently, emergency calls received at the 9-1-1 Center are handled by a well-trained team of dispatchers who summon fire and ambulance corps personnel as well as turn calls related to police matters over to either the sheriff’s office, Carmel, Kent, Cold Spring or Brewster Police as well as State Police.
Bossier Sheriff’s Office dispatchers helping in Baton Rouge during Tropical Storm
BATON ROUGE, La. – Lt. Amy Pope, communications supervisor for the Bossier Sheriff’s Office, knew she would be busy when she headed to Baton Rouge Friday morning to assist the LA. Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness with dispatcher calls and radio traffic.
It wasn’t long before she and fellow Bossier dispatcher, Allison Green, hit the ground running soon after they arrived. They are working in the Comm Room in the state EOC building. The room next to them is where the EOC will be conducting briefings at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.
