by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
MARTINSBURG — Jen Swisher, 9-1-1 Director, came before the Berkeley County Council on Thursday to give an emergency communications update after her first year in the position and to recognize dispatchers who assisted citizens in delivering their babies.
According to statistics presented by Swisher, the total number of 911 calls dispatched increased by less than 1,000 calls from the 2019-20 year to 2020-21 — 69,234 to 70,175.
The large increase in calls, Swisher said, came from Interstate 81, a hot topic among officials throughout the county. In 2019-20, there were 4,898 calls processed for the interstate with 6,164 calls for 2020-21. That equates to approximately 17 calls a day…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was an Amber Alert this week that got everyone’s attention, with a woman wanted for questioning for allegedly taking a car with a baby inside.
The car was found just a few hours after the alert was issued, with the 1-year-old safe inside.
Once 911 dispatchers realized there was a language barrier with the owners of the vehicle, they used one of their two language interpretation service companies they’re contracted with…
by ECC Editor | Oct 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
PRINCE GEORGE – We don’t hear about them often, but they are the first of the first responders who come to your aid when you’re in trouble.
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a 9-1-1 dispatcher? Did you know that Prince George is the main dispatch hub for all of Northern B.C?
“We take care of thirty-eight detachment areas in the whole northern half of the province. So, we cover all the detachments all the way from 100-mile house up to the Yukon Border,” explains Sharla Duchscherer who is the RCMP 9-1-1 dispatch recruiting coordinator for the North District… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
Pay increases are coming to officers and telecommunicators with the Fayetteville Police Department early next year after council members were satisfied with a presentation at their work session that showed wages in the city are below those at neighboring law enforcement agencies.
Fayetteville’s Human Resource Development Director Jerry Clipp presented the proposal to the council and recommended thatpay be increased to compete with other law enforcement agencies in the region.
He also recommended that the minimum salary for police telecommunicators be raised from $30,893 to $34,711, as well as a small pay increase for police supervisors… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 10, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Emergency medical service providers across the U.S. are sounding the alarm that the shortage of medical workers has hit “crisis” levels in many areas, warning Congress that the problem is getting to the point that it is threatening the 911 system.
The American Ambulance Association sent a letter to House and Senate leadership saying the “nation’s EMS system is facing a crippling workforce shortage, a long-term problem that has been building for more than a decade. It threatens to undermine our emergency 9-1-1 infrastructure and deserves urgent attention by the Congress.” … READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
VANCOUVER — As winter weather approaches, North Vancouver RCMP emergency dispatcher Jodie Cohan is encouraging all British Columbians, especially those who venture into the backcountry, to download geolocation technology called What3Words.
The free app divides the world into three-metre squares and assigns each with a unique combination of three random words, which allows first responders to pinpoint the exact location of an emergency.
North Vancouver RCMP implemented the technology last year. Cohan said they were the first RCMP service in Canada to begin using the app…
