by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 18, 2021 | Comm Center News
OUC staff requires more supervision, improved call handling, and efficient location identification; recent improvements should continue with enhanced support
October 19, 2021 (WASHINGTON) The D.C. Office of United Communications 911 Operations Division (OUC) has seen inconsistent handling of calls, difficulties with determining the location of emergencies, and does not meet national standards in getting timely help to callers, according to a new report issued by the Office of the D.C. Auditor (ODCA).
The report by public safety communications consulting firm Federal Engineering, Inc. (FE) on contract with ODCA assesses the effectiveness of OUC against national standards including a review of 2019 and 2020 call metrics, a sample of 911 call recordings, an evaluation of OUC culture and training, and a review of OUC’s technological capabilities and internal investigations…
by ECC Editor | Oct 18, 2021 | Comm Center News
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – Nearly 40 percent of the 911 operator positions at the Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC) are now vacant, as the number of operational vacancies is now at 23 as of Friday afternoon, according to city’s website.
For months, the shortage has impacted 911 call pick-up times and responses to emergencies.
In an open records request, CBS 17 obtained emails that show on Aug. 30 the communications center director Randy Beeman sent an email to interim police chief Shari Montgomery that asked if there were any officers who could help with communications at the call center… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Oct 15, 2021 | Comm Center News
ABILENE, Kan. (WIBW) – Dickinson County Emergency Communications is saying goodbye to late and recently retired Communications Director Russell Wilkins, who passed away on Monday.
The Dickinson County Emergency Communications Center says Russell Wilkins, 60, of Abilene, passed away on Monday, Oct. 11. Wilkins recently retired as the Communications Director for Dickinson Co.
The Emergency Communications Center said Wilkins was born in Abilene, grew up in Navarre and graduated from Chapman High School in 1979. He married Andrea Beth Norton in 1980 and had two sons with her before she passed away in 2008. He then married Angie Woolslayer in 2011, who survives of the home… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 14, 2021 | Comm Center News
ST. LOUIS – A plan to consolidate 911 dispatch operations in St. Louis City will likely need state approval before it can become a reality.
The Post-Dispatch reported a plan to merge all of the 911 dispatching services in the city is already being reviewed. Now city officials are trying to figure out how the different unions would come together under the proposal.
Richard Frank, the city personnel director, spoke Wednesday before the Aldermanic Public Safety Committee. The Post-Dispatch reported Frank told the committee that the state board of mediation would need to clarify whether the dispatchers under the consolidation plan would be represented by the city police or firefighters union…
by AllThingsECC.com | Oct 14, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
This week I decided to once again discuss the urgent need for nationwide Push-To-Talk (PTT) interoperability between FirstNet, broadband, and Land Mobile Radio (LMR). Well, we no longer have to wait for vendors to finally work together. With some vendors’ capabilities, and since many agencies have already deployed their preferred flavor of push-to-talk, perhaps we should look at building nationwide interoperability starting at the agency level and working up.
[Note: None of the vendors mentioned in this article are current clients.]
Push-To-Talk Interoperability Today
Many agencies have moved ahead on their own and worked with an approved FirstNet PTT vendor. Tango Tango has not waited around for the PTT vendor community to solve the interoperability problem. It has found solutions to the problems as it has focused on the agency level…
by ECC Editor | Oct 13, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Every second counts in emergency response. That is why real-time communications across multiple agencies and multiple jurisdictions—as well as inside and outside buildings– is critical to ensure the safety of citizens. These communications vehicles are increasingly complex in a mobile environment and yet must be reliable, secure, and easy to use.
There is also a significant shift in the end user technology consumption model for emergency communications. Evolving from rotary-dial land lines to mobile phones to text and video calls. These changes will force emergency communications systems to adapt and leverage newer technologies to improve public safety systems. To that end, improving nation-wide interoperability of emergency communications is a major goal of top federal government emergency executives and their industry partners… READ MORE
