It is no secret that the long shifts required of public safety telecommunicators can cause challenges for relationships, activities and self-care outside of work. In my recent survey1 of California telecommunicators, participants shared that the heart of the issue was that frequently their scheduled time off was not honored, which worsened multiple areas of work-life balance. For some of the telecommunicators, being contacted at home regarding work issues was the norm at their agency. Others said having time off revoked was an ongoing occurrence. In the words of one participant, “We work a lot of hours already, and to miss holidays that you are scheduled off for is frustrating…
Denver is one of the first cities to get a 9-1-1 upgrade that uses GPS instead of cell towers to give a more precise location for AT&T customers who call 9-1-1 from a mobile device. It makes it easier for emergency services to find and send help to wireless 9-1-1 callers. 80% of 9-1-1 calls today are made from mobile devices – so this technology fills a significant need.
The technology helps narrow down location of a wireless caller from several miles (based on cell towers) to within the width of a football field (about 55 yards).
Right now, AT&T is the only carrier to provide the new routing service. The service is currently available in 16 states, including Colorado. AT&T expects to roll out the service nationwide by June… READ MORE
We recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the signing of the law that created FirstNet. I think this might be a good time to look back at FirstNet (Built with AT&T) and see what AT&T has accomplished in only a little more than the five years since it was awarded the build, operate, and maintain contract from the FirstNet Authority (FNA).
During the first five years of the 25-year contract (the “build” portion), there was at least one task for AT&T to complete every six months. Some tasks had to do with Band 14 build-out and some with device and application certifications. Then there was 3GPP-compliant Push-To-Talk (3GPP PTT), and finally, AT&T had to meet or exceed the number of FirstNet users on the network that is specified in the contract. AT&T received a partial payment from the FirstNet Authority…
TORONTO – May 10, 2022 – Esri Canada today released the NG9-1-1 GIS Validator online app to assist Canadian municipalities in meeting Canada’s new location data requirements for 9-1-1. This free app and service lets municipalities, regional data aggregators and emergency services data providers take the first step in quickly comparing their location and geographic information system (GIS) data to the new National Emergency Number Association (NENA) data specifications, which is the nationally adopted standard for next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1). The NG9-1-1 GIS Validator was purpose built at the request of Canadian municipalities through the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG)… READ MORE
FORT POLK, La. — “What’s the address of your emergency?”
That’s the first question asked by a Fort Polk Directorate of Emergency Services 911 dispatcher when a call comes into their control center. They follow up with questions pertaining to the nature of the emergency and continue to gather additional information, all while trying to keep the person on the other end of the line calm and sending them the help they need.
Jennifer Durrett, Fort Polk 911 dispatch supervisor, said a typical day for her team begins by checking their equipment and conducting communication checks with police patrols, ambulance and fire department units…
There has been a temporary change to the Cabool overnight dispatching service. Having started on May 6th, calls for service to Cabool Police Department or Cabool Fire Department are being routed through Texas County’s 911 dispatch center instead of through a local dispatcher.
Between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., calls to the emergency line will automatically be forwarded to Texas County 911 and appropriate response units will be dispatched.
