Luzerne County 911 project scrutinized (PA)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

Luzerne County 911 Executive Director Fred Rosencrans brought a team to last week’s county council meeting ready to answer any questions about the emergency radio communication system upgrade project expected to go live this summer.

“I’ve been transparent from the beginning. We have nothing to hide,” Rosencrans said.

Six council members voted during the meeting to form an inquiry committee to review the project, but the action failed because the council-adopted administrative code requires seven votes — a majority plus one — for such an action…

Treadway VFD chief concerned about public safety funding in Hancock County (TN)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

This includes the Public Safety Answering Point, or 9-1-1 dispatch office, as well as all of the radio systems and equipment operated by emergency responders. This area is supervised by the 9-1-1 Director, who is appointed by the County Mayor. The current radio system relies on one repeater, located on Neumann’s Ridge, to cover the entire county. With this system, there are multiple areas of the county where emergency responders cannot talk to dispatch.

The current radio console and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems are also outdated. Thankfully, after many meetings with all of the First Responder agencies and the Mayor, the county is in the process of replacing and improving the radio and C.A.D. systems. The one thing that makes the 9-1-1 system work though is the dispatcher…

Dallas firefighters were delayed to apartment fire due to 911 call center issues (TX)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

Emergency crews were delayed responding to a large apartment fire last month in Far Northeast Dallas because of a high call volume and the 911 dispatcher mislabeling the call, according to a city memo.

Why it matters: Dallas has struggled to fix its 911 call center for years, and delays can mean life or death in emergency situations.

Driving the news: It took six minutes to assign a crew to respond to a blaze in April and nine minutes total for firefighters to arrive at a Forest Lane apartment complex where 24 units were destroyed and 100 people were displaced, WFAA reported.

  • “This should raise some serious questions amongst members of the department and the public as to why this happened. Every minute of delay, the fire doubles in size,” Dallas Fire Fighters Association President Jim McDade told WFAA…

Dearborn Heights city council approves dispatch center design vendor (MI)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

The Dearborn Heights city council approved awarding the dispatch center design bid to Partners in Architecture PLC of Mount Pleasant on April 26, as recommended by City Engineer Ali Dib.

With the city council previously declining to join the Dearborn Consolidated dispatch center, the city has chosen to upgrade the facilities which its own dispatchers use to answer emergency calls and communicate information to first responders – police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

City Engineer Ali Dib said the dispatch center project has been under consideration for several years…

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi still considering restoring access to first responder radio (HI)

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi still considering restoring access to first responder radio (HI)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

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More than two months after the city removed first responder radio traffic from public radio waves, the city administration is still deciding whether to restore access to communications that Honolulu police officials argue must be concealed to help preserve public security and safety.

The public and news media’s longstanding ability to listen to the dispatch radio communications of publicly funded fire, police and emergency medical services ended Feb. 15 when the last phase of a $15 million conversion from the city’s analog system to a P25 Motor­­ola digital system was completed…

Mon Valley 911 dispatchers fear chaos as Allegheny County combines radio channels (PA)

by | May 2, 2022 | Comm Center News

In a move that the union representing 911 dispatchers called “disastrous” for public safety, Allegheny County is set to consolidate emergency communications for nearly a dozen Mon Valley police departments onto one radio channel. 

“The safety of all first responders is going to be erased,” said Michele Panella, a representative for the Service Employees International Union, which represents the dispatchers. “It’s not just going to impact police. It’s going to impact response times for the other agencies as well, as far as fire and EMS go…