Former Beloit police officer saves life just days on job as 911 dispatcher (WI)

Former Beloit police officer saves life just days on job as 911 dispatcher (WI)

by | Dec 10, 2021 | Comm Center News

JANESVILLE—Janesville native Kayla Glass spent the better part of a decade protecting the people of Rock County as a patrol officer in the Beloit Police Department. She knows what it takes to help save lives, and six days on the job as a 911 telecommunicator, she was part of a call that saved a man suffering cardiac arrest.

For six years Glass patrolled the streets of Beloit, along with serving two years on the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. But she wanted to transition for her 4-year-old son to a safer job that still could help others. That’s where the Rock County Communications Center came in…

Bull City mayor turns to Durham Tech to help fill 911 center call-takers gap (NC)

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Comm Center News

Durham’s new mayor will begin working with a local community college to help fill ongoing staff shortages in the city and county’s 911 center. Speaking at her first news conference as mayor Wednesday, Elaine O’Neal said she will meet with City Manager Wanda Page, Emergency Communications Director Randy Beeman and Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton about creating a pipeline of students or residents to fill call-taker vacancies and improve response times. The News & Observer asked O’Neal in an interview how the collaboration came about… READ MORE

Unexpected funding source a boost to LawCo 911 board (MO)

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Comm Center News

The Lawrence County Emergency Services Board recently learned from Director Bonnie Witt-Schulte of an unaccounted source of income.

“The use tax monies, collected for online purchases from out of state, are earmarked for 911,” she said. “Lawrence County has been receiving these funds, but as of yet, the commission has not turned them over to this board.”

In total, there is approximately $381,000 in the fund… READ MORE

Cape Coral Police Department Awarded the Gold Standard in Public Safety (FL)

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Comm Center News

(December 8, 2021) – The Cape Coral Police Department has been awarded CALEA Accreditation in Law Enforcement and in Communications effective November 19, 2021. These awards remain in effect for four years and the agency retains all privileges associated with this status during that period. CALEA Accreditation serves as the International Gold Standard for Public Safety Agencies.

The process of CALEA Accreditation begins with a rigorous self-assessment, requiring a review of policies, practices, and processes against internationally accepted public safety standards. This is followed with an assessment by independent assessors with significant public safety experience…

PPD now part of 911 central dispatch (PA)

PPD now part of 911 central dispatch (PA)

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Comm Center News

By STEVE SWOGETINSKY

The Philadelphia Police Department switched to the MSWIN radio system last week and is now receiving its dispatch from Neshoba County’s 911 Communications.

“At 9 a.m., Dec. 1, we switched over,” said Eric Lyons, police chief. “The transition was seamless. We had several calls this weekend. The officers are pleased with the transition and the new MSWIN radios.”

MISWIN is the state’s public safety communication system which is designed to provide 97% mobile area coverage statewide via multiple sites developed after Hurricane Katrina…

Global pandemic ignites new era of public-safety innovation

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News

History shows that times of crisis and disruption are often the driving force behind technological innovation and growth. Nowhere is this more evident than in public safety, where those on the frontlines in law enforcement and emergency response need to adapt quickly to meet the safety and security needs of the communities they serve.

One need not look back more than a few decades for examples. Consider the horrific massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, which led police departments to reassess response tactics and has driven the implementation of “panic buttons” and other technologies connecting schools and first responders. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 exposed limitations in Louisiana’s communications systems and led to investment in a radio system capable of withstanding hurricane force winds and flooding. Just last year, the murder of George Floyd laid bare the need for video to record encounters between law enforcement and the public and sparked the accelerated deployment of body-worn cameras…