GATESVILLE — Because of staffing shortages at the Gates County 911 center, Perquimans County’s 911 center is also temporarily providing dispatching services in the neighboring county.
Gates County Manager Tim Wilson said the Gates County 911 Communications Center enacted its mutual aid agreement with the Perquimans County 911 Center on Friday, Dec. 17.
Under the agreement, the Gates County 911 Dispatch Center has temporarily relocated to the 911 center in Perquimans and Gates telecommunicators began working at the Perquimans center at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17… READ MORE
Keith Thornton, who gained widespread praise for his handling of Chicago police dispatching duties in the minutes after a gunman fatally shot Officer Ella French and gravely wounded her partner during a traffic stop in August, is fed up.
“Keith is p*ssed. Keith is p*ssed right now,” Thornton said as he opened a nearly 30-minute-long Facebook video rant about anemic staffing levels in a North Side police district.
You can watch the video here…
Written by Edward Parkinson / FirstNet Authority
You would be hard-pressed to read the news today and not find a headline about 5G. It has been an exciting year for the telecommunications industry as a whole, with initial 5G services becoming more available on smartphones and tablets — including some of the devices our first responders use during emergencies and everyday operations.
Unlike previous technology upgrades, when public-safety users were mostly an afterthought, they are now a critical market to consider in technology rollouts. At the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), we are pleased to see a robust marketplace for public safety expand and reach new heights in just our fifth year of the public-private partnership with our network contractor AT&T. READ FULL ARTICLE
Fort Payne, AlabamaAP) — A 911 dispatcher in northeastern Alabama says he lost his home in a fire and has been overwhelmed by the kindness of others since the fire.
Stephanie Herin has been answering calls in Fort Payne for over 20 years. The phone call on Thursday was about my house on fire.
Introduction: There are currently few stress management options provided to emergency dispatchers regarding the negative emotional, physical, and mental symptoms of stress that come with the job. Similarly, there is a lack of information about how these professionals experience this role and manage to cope with the challenges associated.
Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the sources of stress, coping mechanisms, stress responses, workplace environments, support services, and employer strategies to mitigate stress experienced by emergency dispatchers.
Methods: This was a descriptive, non-experimental study using an online survey tool (SurveyMonkey) to address the research questions that framed the study. The survey included open-ended items used for the collection data on the sources of stress, sources of support, and the lived experiences of 911 emergency dispatchers. The study utilized an inductive qualitative approach, consensual qualitative research, to analyze data within a multiple case study design. Data was collected in the Spring of 2020.
Results: The results of the cross analysis on research findings identified common domains across participants, including (a) types of stressful/traumatic calls, (b) responses to stressful/traumatic calls, and (c) workplace environment/support.
Conclusion: Implications address areas for ongoing discussion, including considerations and strategies to best promote mental health and wellbeing in the emergency dispatcher population. Our findings suggest further development, promotion, and utilization of employee assistance programs, peer to peer support networks, and critical incident stress management services may serve as a mechanism to enable emergency dispatchers and their organizations to better counteract job related stress and promote more positive mental health outcomes and workplace environments.
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2. Meischke, H., Painter, I., Lilly, M., Beaton, R., Revere, D., … Baseman, J. An exploration of sources, symptoms and buffers of occupational stress in 9-1-1 emergency call centers. Annals of Emergency Dispatch & Response. 2015; 3(2), 28-35.
3. Trachik, B., Marks, M., Bowers, C., Scott, G., Olola, C., & Gardett, I. Is dispatching to a traffic accident as stressful as being in one? Acute stress disorder, secondary traumatic stress, and occupational burnout in 911 emergency dispatchers. Annals of Emergency Dispatch & Response. 2015; 3, 27-38.
4. Turner, K. D., Lilly, M. M., Gamez, A. M., & Kressler, K. Impact of Work-Related Factors on Stress and Health among 911 Calltakers and Dispatchers in California. Annals of Emergency Dispatch & Response. 2019; 7(1), 5-11.
5. Golding, S. E., Horsfield, C., Davies, A., Egan, B., Jones, M., Raleigh, M., Schofield, P., Squires, A., Start, K., Quinn, T., & Cropley, M. Exploring the psychological health of emergency dispatch centre operatives: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. PeerJ. 2017; 5.
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12. Pew Trusts. (2021, October 26). New research suggests 911 call centers lack resources to handle behavioral health crises. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2021/10/new-research-suggests-911-call-centers-lack-resources-to-handle-behavioral-health-crises
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Lee County residents who might not be able to safely use their phone in an emergency now have a new option — they can text 911.
The county began its new “text 911” system last Wednesday.
The texting 911 system is meant to help those who are hard of hearing, domestic violence victims and others reporting emergencies who may not be able to speak with emergency responders over the phone and so allows them to text their emergencies to dispatchers…1
