by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
Written by Colin Wood
Aug 10, 2021 | STATESCOOP
The New York City Fire Department retired a 45-year-old computer aided dispatch system last week, following a four-year project to develop a modern platform that officials said is more reliable and has new functionality to help keep the city’s residents safe.
FDNY Deputy Commissioner JonPaul Augier said the department launched the new FireCAD system at 3:43 a.m. on Aug. 2, a Monday, when call volume is generally low. The new $22 million system, developed by Accenture, replaced a legacy CAD platform called STARFIRE…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 10, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
One hears phrases like “communication is key” and “we need an open line of communication” so often in everyday life that it has become a cliché. But, when it comes to public safety and first responders, this cliché is a stark reality.
From the moment the call comes into the 9-1-1 center, a metaphorical, and literal, switch is flipped. Without reliable communications, that call can’t be dispatched, and those officers can’t respond. Fortunately, grant funders on both the federal and state level are aware of the necessity of reliable radio communications and have provided numerous resources for public-safety agencies…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 10, 2021 | Comm Center News
ATLANTA (CBS46) — When you dial 911, you may expect dispatchers to immediately know the location and send emergency crews. But that’s not always the case. The process can take minutes, but when every second counts, that can be too long, so dispatchers are now using video response.
The 911 video calls are helping with more than just location too.
“It can take its toll,” Douglas County dispatcher Amanda Strickland described about the job. Because no matter the crisis, emergency response depends on her precision…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 9, 2021 | Comm Center News
STUART, Fla. — When students head back to the classroom this year, all Florida school districts must be in compliance with Alyssa’s Law.
The law is named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, a student killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland when a gunman opened fire on campus in 2018. It requires schools to have a mobile panic alarm system in place to notify local law enforcement in case of an emergency.
While Florida school districts must comply at the start of the 2021-22 academic year, Martin County installed new technology last school year to enhance safety and comply with the law…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 9, 2021 | Comm Center News
Help FireRescue1 learn how you are using communications technology on the job – and tell us what you need to better manage emergency response
Communications are critical for informed and appropriate emergency response, and the technology designed for the fire service and other public safety agencies continues to improve and evolve.
What communications tools and technologies are firefighters, fire officers and incident commanders using on the job today, and what do you think will help you better manage emergency response, both now and in the future?
Take our 5-minute survey and help FireRescue1 learn more about what you need and want from your communications systems…
![Keith Thornton: Chicago Police Dispatcher Praised [AUDIO] (IL)](https://allthingsecc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/keith-thornton.jpg)
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 9, 2021 | Comm Center News
Keith Thornton, a 911 dispatcher with the Chicago Police Department, is being praised for his handling of the tragic police shooting that took the life of 29-year-old Officer Ella French and wounded her partner.
On social media, Thornton was praised from people who followed the shooting aftermath on police dispatch audio. “His name is Keith Thornton. He’s the dispatcher on the CPD call. Get him trending. #KeithThornton,” wrote one Twitter user. Another Twitter user wrote that Thornton was the 911 dispatcher “who took control of the situation, instructed CPD Officers to perform CPR, he set the perimeters to help catch the murderers, he called for outside help…
