DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF) – After five decades, an outdated communications tower at the DeKalb Sheriff’s Office will soon be replaced thanks to half a million dollars in grant funding.
During emergencies, first responders and law enforcement are the first ones to respond and it all comes through a tower, which was aging and unreliable.
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden told 48 News, it’s been a challenge at times.
“There have been times where parts of the system have gone down in the middle of the night, and we are only able to use a certain tower in the county, which will limit the capability of the town on different ends,” said Sheriff Welden… READ MORE
Recently, Sioux County Telecommunications Operator (Dispatcher), Kevin Harskamp, was a recipient of the Iowa Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Association’s Dispatcher of the Year Award.
The award was a result of the nomination by members of the Sioux County EMS Association; the EMS association consists of members of 10 emergency response agencies in Sioux County.
The award recognized Harskamp and the work he does with receiving and dispatching medical 9-1-1 calls and the important role of emergency dispatchers in the EMS system… READ MORE
Sgt. Guy Kinney, a 911 dispatcher, works at the 911 dispatch centre at EPS Headquarters downtown Wednesday. Media was invited for a tour to inform the public about the “Curb the Danger” program. Photo by file photo /PostmediaAn overflowing toilet does not warrant a 911 call, warn Edmonton city police as almost half of the calls coming into the emergency line are frivolous
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) says about 46.8 per cent of calls received by its emergency communications and operations management branch (ECOMB) between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1 were not transferred to police, fire or EMS because they were not emergency calls.
A total of 347,826 911 calls were made within that timeframe…
The Town of Boone and Watauga County are among grant recipients recently announced by the N.C. Department of Information Technology.
The N.C. 911 Board has approved $8.45 million in grants to 12 local public safety answering points and $6 million for three statewide projects. The grants will fund improvements to 911 PSAPs, radio-and-dispatch equipment upgrades and creation of new PSAPs.
Locally, Boone Police Department will receive $252,565.43 and Watauga County will receive $154,130.86. Will Holt, Watauga County Emergency Services Director, tells WataugaOnline.com that the grants will be used in upgrading dispatch consoles in the communications center to the latest hardware. He adds that Boone is also doing a similar project… READ MORE
But with nearly 20 resignations dwindling the number of Erie County’s 911 dispatchers since January, emergency response times could be markedly slower, according to the Erie County Department of Public Safety.
A higher salary could change that.
On Nov. 16, Erie County Council unanimously approved a roughly $4,500 pay raise for the county’s 911 telecommunicators, an attempt to boost the recruitment and retention of those who public safety officials call the county’s “first” first responders…
Emergency call centers across the nation are “doing a good job” upgrading to modern technology compatible with next-generation 911, but the core infrastructure backing those systems needs a boost, according to a recent analysis from the public-safety consulting firm Mission Critical Partners.
The company, which offers its customers vulnerability assessments as part of its general service offerings, last week released a qualitative analysis after completing more than 100 such assessments over the past two years. Analysts said that while agencies are implementing strategic plans that keep their systems up-to-date — such as call-handling and computer-aided dispatch platforms — the emergency services IP networks, commonly known as ESInets, and next-generation core services aren’t being upgraded as quickly…
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.
