ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) – The sound of an emergency call is a sound familiar to any Odessa dispatcher.
But lately, that sound doesn’t guarantee an answer.
“Even with the minimum of four people working, 911 calls definitely get missed,” said Sonya Cortez, the Quality Assurance Specialist with Odessa Dispatch.
Gilbert PD announced the launch of a cloud-based Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS) software platform from Versaterm Public Safety, providing residents enhanced security and police emergency response capabilities. The new Gilbert Police RMS system went live on April 3, 2022, following the successful CAD deployment two weeks prior.
Calhoun County will soon shift to a new system for emergency notifications.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division and Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch announced they will transition to the Rave Alerts system beginning Aug. 1.
A dispatch manager, Nicole Elliott, wrote on the incident to Clark County Sheriff’s Office administrators.
“[Her] actions on the first call not only delayed response by the first responders, but also put the lives of the four victims in more danger by disconnecting the call,” Elliott said.
When the first calls about a shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall came into the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center on Sunday, dispatchers were only just beginning their shift.
The B-shift, which is typically from 5:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., started as it typically does. Philip Hayes, B-shift night supervisor, came in early, around 4:40 p.m. as he usually does. Hayes, who’s worked for 911 on and off since 2010, relieved the other shift supervisor. The two exchanged notes and then Hayes sat down, logged into his station and set the schedule for the night.
The City of Hollister’s 9-1-1 calls will now be dispatched through the Taney County Sheriff’s Department as part of an intergovernmental dispatch agreement.
“This decision was made when it was realized that those who reside and travel through our great city would be better served with the resources of the Taney County Sheriff’s Department involved in police response,” stated a press release from the Hollister Police Department.
