Government transparency a priority for Peoria Assistant City Manager (IL)

PEORIA (25 News) – Three months into her new job, Assistant City Manager Kimberly Richardson is expressing confidence about Peoria’s outlook, while calling for more open communication from the local government.

“One thing that I always realize is that people see government in a way at times that it can be a barrier, an obstacle,” she says, “and I really want to make it so that community members feel that engaging with the city is not that (way).”

The former Evanston Deputy City Manager runs the economic development department, oversees the city’s emergency communications center, and manages informations systems staff… READ MORE

911 dispatcher helps 17-year-old boy save stepfather’s life (OH)

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – A Clermont County 911 dispatcher and a 17-year-old boy are being hailed as heroes for saving a life. Inside a home on Lodgepole Drive in Miami township, teen Garrett Byram made the call for help.

“I think my stepfather is having a heart attack or something. His phone is on the ground he looks very, very red,” said Bryam to dispatcher Aaron Daulton.

Over the next few minutes, Daulton would calmly walk Byram and his sister, Andi, through life-saving actions…

El Paso County 911 dispatcher helps deliver twins (CO)

El Paso County 911 dispatcher helps deliver twins (CO)

EL PASO COUNTY — If you have to call 911 in El Paso County, Courtney Zohrlaut may be the one who answers. If you have to deliver a baby, she’s just who you want to pick up.

“I have actually been through three deliveries so far and delivered four babies successfully,” Zohrlaut said.

Each baby came fast. She talked to us about a recent call where she helped deliver twins…

Manchester dispatcher named Telecommunicator of Year for tracking down abducted girl (IA)

MANCHESTER, Iowa — Jessica Kelly recently was named Iowa’s Telecommunicator of the Year for going above and beyond her duties as a head dispatcher for the Manchester Police Department in helping a mother find her abducted daughter.

Kelly’s search for the abductor and the lost girl took her two hours while also fielding other calls that came in, as the station only has one dispatcher on duty at a time.

The award was bestowed by the Iowa chapter of Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials… READ MORE

911 dispatchers could be key in prosecuting more hate crimes (CA)

On an early Tuesday morning in March, over a dozen 911 dispatchers from across San Diego County are checking into the Sheriff’s Department for a special training on hate crimes.

The goal is to teach dispatchers to gather key evidence that prosecutors can then use to charge people with hate crimes, said Deputy District Attorney Abigail Dillon, the lead hate crime prosecutor who runs these training sessions several times a year.

“The details that a dispatcher is able to get from someone who is on scene witnessing it as it happened or (from) the victim of the crime itself or even the suspect,” Dillon said. “I can’t emphasize enough how important that information gathering can be and how critical that evidence can be… READ MORE

Mohave County Sheriff’s officials seek $1.15M for 911 system upgrades (AZ)

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office could join law enforcement agencies throughout the state this year in updating a decades-old emergency dispatch system to better serve Arizona residents.

Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster this month has requested that the county’s governing board approve a $1.15 million grant from the Arizona Department of Administration, which would cover the costs of upgrading the county’s existing 911 system through the 2023 fiscal year. The improvements would enhance emergency dispatch services in Lake Havasu City, Kingman, Bullhead City, Colorado City and the sheriff’s office…