SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s 9-1-1 Program and RapidSOS, an emergency response data platform, announced Monday a partnership to deliver lifesaving enhanced location data to each of the state’s 43 9-1-1 centers. Oregon is the first in the nation to securely deploy RapidSOS into an existing, secure statewide foundational Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet), powered by Lumen.
“The existing 9-1-1 system used to locate cell phone calls is over 20 years old, designed long before smartphones or GPS,” explained Oregon State 9-1-1 Program Manager Frank Kuchta. “When a person calls 9-1-1 from a cell phone, the dispatcher can’t see the caller’s exact location; instead, they have to rely on the caller’s wireless carrier for the information. This data comes from a cell tower that could put the caller miles away from where they physically are, depending on several variables, including proximity to the cell tower, topography and the connecting technology…
DEPARTMENT of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Dennis Mendiola said there is a need to “centralize” 911 emergency calls.
“We are communicating with the Department of Public Safety, CNMI Homeland Security, the governor’s office, and the Legislature to try to centralize 911 calls so that we could eliminate call forwarding and issues regarding delayed response,” he added.
Mendiola said legislation has to be introduced and passed to centralize 911 calls. “A lot of legislators are working on the details of that measure which will require additional funding from the community,” he added…
San Jose’s 911 dispatchers are sounding the alarm and urging the city council to take immediate action addressing a staffing shortage.
Dispatchers said the staffing issue means some calls for help are getting put on hold.
Fire dispatchers said during the VTA yard shooting some other emergency calls had to be put on hold for up to 30 minutes because the limited number of on-duty dispatchers were tied up handling the shooting and two significant structure fires at the same time…
Upper Arlington is eyeing an estimated $2.5 million in security upgrades and renovations to the city’s Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road.
Space from the city’s former 911 dispatching room can be incorporated into either the existing UAPD space or City Attorney’s Office, or both, because Upper Arlington outsourced its 911 dispatching operations to the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center in Dublin in 2018… READ MORE
With a study into a potential merger with the city of Chandler on Emergency Call Center services now called off, Maricopa is looking to build its own facility and host operations for municipal partners.
The Chandler study was halted for a variety of reasons, according to City Manager Rick Horst.
“Chandler has recently advised us that they wish to pause this process,” Horst said. “Reasons include the recent retirement of their city manager and the ongoing recruitment process. Recent events in the city of Chandler have mandated their time and attention away from this study process and to some degree, misinformation circulated as promulgated by parties with self-serving agendas…
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
