PERRY COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – Governor Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced 45 full-time and part-time telecommunicator positions across the Commonwealth on Thursday.
“Telecommunicators are crucial to our law enforcement agencies,” said Gov. Beshear. “Over the past few days, we have seen first-hand the role they have had in the Western Kentucky Tornadoes. They have truly been the bridge between our state troopers and the public. I encourage Kentuckians who want a challenging career serving the communities in which they live to apply…
For those who manage phone systems, a key responsibility is tracking phone locations and 911 call routing.
That task has been complicated by the rise of softphones and embedded dialers, coupled with the shift to cloud-based communications. The days of simply managing desktop telephones at fixed locations are over.
In addition, new federal regulations often supersede the patchwork of state and local laws governing 911 location management. Mobile phones add another wrinkle. Their near-ubiquity raises questions about how organizations are notified when a 911 call is placed on a personal cellphone from within an office location… READ MORE
Elizabeth Elyce Jalloh has a name with a story to tell.
“Elizabeth” is an homage to her mom Charlotte Fatoma’s grandmother, whom she says is beautiful, kind and caring.
The baby’s middle name is after the 911 dispatcher, Elyce Rivera, who coached Fatoma through the entire delivery over the phone on the side of Interstate 476 in late October.
Fatoma and her baby met Rivera for the first time early this week on the “Today Show.” There, Fatoma asked Rivera — whom she describes as being “patient, kind and angelic — to be her new daughter’s godmother…
An assistant deputy chief with Red Deer Emergency Services is praising 911 dispatchers as the holiday season approaches.
“It’s cold outside, we just got our first significant snowfall of the year. Our centre does get quite busy when we see increment weather like we have the last week or so,” assistant deputy chief Matt White said Friday.
“But our dispatchers do a good job all year long. No matter what time of year, those folks are taking calls all day, 24/7, 365. It just speaks to how good a job they do day in and day out, all year long.”
The Red Deer 911 Emergency Communications Centre is one of just five Canadian centres recognized by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch as an accredited centre of excellence for emergency fire dispatch.
“It just shows the dedication and professionalism of our dispatchers here in Red Deer, and how good they are at their jobs,” White said, adding Red Deer has been accredited since 2019.
IAED provides a set of protocols for dispatchers to follow when asking questions to those who have called 911. There are protocols in place for each type of fire call RDES may encounter, White explained.
“The questions lead the dispatcher to be able to determine the type of call, so they can send the appropriate resources, and the severity of the call, so they know how quickly those resources need to get there to make a difference,” he said.
People will call 911 for both emergency events, such as house fires, and non-emergency events, said White.
“We don’t have the same level of response for every call that we go to. Those protocols help our dispatchers determine what trucks need to go and how quickly they need to arrive.”
Dispatchers will learn these protocols when they first start working at the centre and will go through ongoing training and quality assurance throughout their careers. The Red Deer 911 Emergency Communications Centre has a dedicated quality assurance officer who reviews calls and provides feedback to the staff as well.
Accreditation from the IAED is the “highest distinction given” to emergency communications centres, the Red Deer 911 Emergency Communications Centre said in a tweet.
Dispatch call centres must meet certain criteria the IAED has set out to become accredited.
NORTH BEND, Ore. – A nationwide shortage of telecommunicators hits home as emergency officials look to solve dispatching issues in North Bend.
“It does take a period of time to get a dispatcher trained and certified and up to the level that they can actually function in a solo capacity,” Coos Bay Police Chief Chris Chapanar said.
On Tuesday, interim Police Chief Gary McCullough and Fire Chief Jim Brown got the green light from the City Council to transfer dispatch services to Coos Bay… READ MORE
FORT SILL, Okla. (KSWO) – A new service at Fort Sill now lets you text 911 if you’re having an emergency.
It’s extremely simple to use, you text 911 what your emergency is and your location and it will go right to a dispatcher, along with the latitude and longitude of your phone’s location. They’ll be able to send first responders to you while asking you questions about the emergency to learn more.
As technology evolves, so does the need for new ways to get emergency services…
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
