by AllThingsECC.com | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
Norell Mascolo has been a Yale Public Safety Dispatcher since 2007. Norell is the first point of contact for Yale’s emergency and non-emergency calls. It is a unique occupation requiring efficiency, experience, and compassion. Helping individuals during a difficult or painful experience can be a stressful job, but Norell finds joy in its purpose.
Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Norell attended Eli Whitney Technical High School in Hamden. Following graduation and a brief stint at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Norell managed a flower shop for several years and then left to start a family. By the mid-1980s, she returned to the workforce at American Medical Response, Inc. (AMR) in New Haven. It was there that her career in emergency medical services began…
by AllThingsECC.com | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
“That’s what my job is and if I didn’t take the calls, then I’m not doing my job,” she said. “In my eyes it was a team effort; it’s not just me making that accomplishment. It was all of 911. This is not a one-person job.”
Bell surpassed the 20,000 mark in early December and finished the year with more than 20,400 emergency calls.
She only answers incoming calls at the communications center then routes them to dispatchers who send out the necessary emergency responders. Severe flash floods that hit Cobb County in September and the Atlanta Braves’ run to the World Series, which brought increased crowds and traffic because of Truist Park in Cobb, increased the call volume, according to Bell…
by AllThingsECC.com | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
The soon-to-be obsolete dispatch system that Somerset County and three police departments use is being replaced, but at a cost of $650,000.
The county has relied on its current system, called IMC Suite, for the last 18 to 20 years, said Michael Smith, director for the Somerset Regional Communications Center and Somerset County Emergency Management Agency.
The system has come under new ownership several times in recent years, which has raised red flags, he said. The current owner, public safety software company CentralSquare, says it will maintain the old platform for the next two years, but new features and upgrades are not expected, he said…
by ECC Editor | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
From North County Fire Protection District
If your mobile phone is more than a few years old, you may need to upgrade your device before your mobile provider shuts down its 3G network, to avoid losing service. For more information on your mobile providers’ plans for 3G retirement and how you can prepare, contact your provider directly.
What is happening?
Mobile carriers are shutting down their 3G networks, which rely on older technology, to make room for more advanced network services, including 5G. As a result, many older cell phones will be unable to make or receive calls and texts, including calls to 911, or use data services. This will affect 3G mobile phones and certain older 4G mobile phones that do not support Voice over LTE (VoLTE or HD Voice)… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
The Palo Alto Police Department is pushing back against attempts by some members of the City Council to reverse its policy of encrypting police radio communication, which prevents the media and members of the public from using scanners to monitoring police activities.
The policy change was made by City Manager Ed Shikada and Police Chief Robert Jonsen in January 2021 with no council involvement or advance warning. Both had claimed since then that it was adopted to comply with an October 2020 order from the state Department of Justice, which requires law enforcement agencies to protect personal identifiable information such as an individual’s Social Security number or passport number. The DOJ memo does, however, allow agencies to adopt policies that protect this information without fully encrypting their communications, as the California Highway Patrol had done… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Mar 28, 2022 | Comm Center News
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A new high-tech tool will help the Fresno Police Department respond to emergency calls.Fresno police launched the new and improved Computer-Aided Dispatch or “CAD” system at the end of last month.
It was designed over the last four years in partnership with the company AXON.
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama says the system provides real-time mapping for dispatchers and officers.
They can respond faster with safety in mind, and officers can go to a scene more prepared…
