by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Prolonged blackouts in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida are a reminder the power grid needs to become more resilient as well as reliable if even more services such as electric vehicles are going to depend on it in future.
The electricity system is already directly responsible for providing a wide range of energy services in homes, offices and factories, including space heating, air-conditioning, cooking, refrigeration and power.
The grid is also at the heart of a collection of other critical systems, including oil and gas supply, water and sewerage, transport, communications, public safety and healthcare, which cannot function properly without it…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Comm Center News
Suffolk residents placed numerous calls to the county’s 911 call system Wednesday night as they sought help for relatives in New York City who could not reach 911 while a storm deluged the region, county officials said Thursday.
Callers reported relatives trapped in vehicles and flooded basement apartments, but could not get through to city first responders from about 10 p.m. Wednesday until early Thursday, said Tom Moran, vice president of the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees, which represents Suffolk 911 workers.
Moran said Suffolk emergency operators also fielded calls from Nassau County…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Comm Center News
Two Southeast Alaska communities will now have text-to-911 capability in their emergency communications systems.
Wrangell and Petersburg will now have the ability to text emergency services in cases in which calling isn’t an option.
“So basically it’s been working out excellent,” said Petersburg Police Department Chief James Kerr in a phone interview. “It’s designed for the hearing impaired or domestic violence situations. If you can’t talk to the dispatch, but you need help, you can text.”
The police departments in those communities worked with Third Signal, a consulting company, to implement the technology, according to a news release from the company…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), a developer of long-endurance hybrid-electric unmanned aircraft systems designed for a wide range of commercial, defense and public safety applications, has been named one of seven finalists in the NIST First Responder UAS Endurance Challenge, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Team AAC from Advanced Aircraft Company placed first in the competition, taking home a cash prize of $100,000. Additionally, the company won three Best-in-Class Awards for Endurance, Innovation and First Responders Choice, totaling its winnings at $135,000…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Comm Center News
Teams of mental health professionals, paramedics and crisis-intervention trained officers will use white vans to help those suffering from mental illness in two parts of Chicago, officials said. (Credit: Chicago Department of Public Health)
Chicagoans who call 911 in two parts of the city while experiencing a mental health crisis can now get help from not just a Chicago police officer trained to assist them — but also a paramedic and a mental health professional.
The teams are now responding to calls for help from Chicagoans in Uptown, Lakeview and North Center on the North Side, with another team focusing on Auburn Gresham and Chatham on the South Side, officials told aldermen during a meeting of the City Council’s Committee on Health and Human Relations on Wednesday…
by AllThingsECC.com | Sep 3, 2021 | Comm Center News
The Marion County Sheriff Department extended their “deepest condolences” to the family of long-time employee Thomas Kelly, who died Tuesday night from COVID-19 complications.
Thomas was employed by the Sheriff’s Department as an emergency dispatch operator since May of 2008.
Marion County Communications Supervisor Jerry Hutchins said “I have lost a great friend and great employee. Thomas served the citizens of Marion County with respect and kindness. He always had a smile on his face. Everyone please take every precaution available to protect yourself from this virus. Rest In Peace my friend”…
