by AllThingsECC.com | Nov 1, 2021 | Comm Center News
(WHDH)– What if police couldn’t answer your 911 call because they were tied up investigating a mistake: Someone who called by accident. 7 Investigates found the number of those calls is increasing, and they’re diverting emergency crews away from people really need help! Hank Phillippi Ryan has the story.
The phone rings in the Littleton Police Department 911 call center. Bill Harrold, the dispatch supervisor, answers the call, “911, this line is recorded. What is your emergency?”
Bill is ready for any call that comes in. “Hello? You dial 911?” he asks the caller…
by ECC Editor | Oct 29, 2021 | Comm Center News
MARIETTA, Ohio. (WTAP) – A Washington County 911 system levy will be on next week’s ballots.
Chief Deputy Mark Warden says this levy is an important part of operating the 911 system. It came into play five years ago due to operating costs surpassing the revenue made. This is due to landlines being used less often on top of the the state’s cap on the cellular 911 surcharge.
Warden says the levy supports equipment, annual maintenance fees, and further growth of the 911 system… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 28, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Every year, millions of 911 calls involve a person experiencing an emergency related to a mental health or substance use disorder—situations often referred to as behavioral health crises.1 How these calls are handled can determine whether the incident ends safely, the person in crisis is arrested, or the person is connected to appropriate care.
The call-takers and dispatchers answering these emergency calls make critical assessments of the health and safety of those involved in each call, decide whether help is needed, and, if it is, determine whether it should be led by law enforcement officers, emergency medical services, or more specialized field responses (if available)… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 28, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Weber Area 911 dispatcher Matt Graves works at dispatch and emergency services on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019.
It started when a young woman desperately sought help in a mental health crisis and her call went to voicemail. She then took her life.
State Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, told the story Tuesday as a national group of experts discussed the growing challenges of communities effectively responding to life-or-death behavioral health situations without throwing people in jail or handing them off to overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 28, 2021 | Comm Center News
TOWN OF ERIN, Wis. – The well-known view from Holy Hill could be changing.
Washington County is considering building a communications tower not too far from the iconic church that, in fall, offers one of the most iconic views in the state.
Holy Hill draws visitors from across Wisconsin to the town of Eric each year.
“Those from the area have grown up with Holy Hill, and when we say Erin, the home of Holy Hill, people know where we are,” said Maripat Blankenheim, town of Erin supervisor…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 28, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
DIU test portable private 5G network for responders
To improve communications for public safety, the Defense Innovation Unit announced a year-long test of a private, portable, wireless 5G network for first responders in California, including the California National Guard.
With DIU’s solution, the responders arriving first at a remote incident can launch a private cellular network using a vehicle-mounted, backpack, hand-carried or wearable node, said Jeff Kleck, director of the Cyber and Telecommunications Portfolio at DIU. It will free them from reliance on legacy radios or expensive satellite phones and give them access to networked applications such as push-to-talk voice, geolocation and live maps of their surroundings…
