by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
The Grapevine Police Department is dealing with a major shortage of 911 dispatchers and is hoping a signing bonus will help.
Grapevine Police are offering a $1,200 bonus for newly-hired dispatchers — $600 upon hire, $300 upon completion of the probationary period, and another $300 on the one-year anniversary.
Amanda McNew with Grapevine Police says they’re looking for people who are strong multitaskers.
Like all other police departments throughout North Texas and across the country, Grapevine is experiencing a critical shortage of 911 call-takers. McNew says while that is not leading to 911 calls going unanswered, they are having to use police officers and firefighters to answer the phones…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) — A Fort Collins police dispatcher who has been taking emergency calls for 20 years was on the other end of the line on Monday.
Dispatcher Tricia Leslie was at the end of her shift at 7 p.m. On the way home, she spotted a person who fit the description of a sexual assault suspect that was called in earlier in the day.
She immediately called the police, actually she called her husband, who is a Fort Collins police sergeant. He and other officers responded and made the arrest…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
“What’s the least you need in terms of staffing for, especially 911,” FOX 29’s Dave Kinchen asked.
“You know I wouldn’t be able to give you that answer off the top of my head, but again when you look at the demographic or the employees that work in there there’s a high number of single parents that work there. I don’t want to say force but when you compel staff to work a lot of mandatory overtime during a pandemic. It makes professionally it makes it very difficult for people to manage their personal lives as well,” Outlaw explained…
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
OTTUMWA — It wasn’t exactly Christmas in August, but Ottumwa’s city leadership wanted ideas just the same.
With the city receiving approximately $1.8 million in American Rescue Plan funding each of the next two years, city administrator Philip Rath and mayor Tom Lazio held a listening session Thursday at Bridge View Center with a handful of residents regarding ideas on ways to spend that money.
All told, Wapello County will receive almost $6.8 million in funding, about half of that to Ottumwa. The first allotment will be arriving “very shortly,” Lazio said…
by ECC Editor | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — There will now be a Kern Behavioral Health clinician at the 9-1-1 center in Bakersfield, to handle mental health calls, as opposed to a police officer or dispatcher. It’s a pilot program all to help people in Kern County struggling with their mental health. The Bakersfield City Council voted to approve a one hundred and $135 million contract with Kern Behavioral Health on Wednesday.
It allows a Behavioral Health clinician to be in the 9-1-1 center in Bakersfield, to help answer calls for those struggling with suicidal thoughts or other mental health related issues… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Aug 8, 2021 | Comm Center News
South Sound 911 says only 44% of its essential employees were vaccinated before this outbreak, but since then, several employees have chosen to get the vaccine.
TACOMA, Wash. — South Sound 911 in Pierce County was rocked by COVID-19.
The emergency call center stated 15 employees recently tested positive for the virus, with the first popping up in late July. Employees worked overtime and supervisors pitched in working dispatch radios and answering calls in order to not disrupt service.
The outbreak is giving other first responders a look at the impact an outbreak can have on a department…
