Text to 911 now available in Gallatin Co. (MT)

Text to 911 now available in Gallatin Co. (MT)

by | Jun 1, 2021 | Comm Center News

BOZEMAN — Gallatin County 911 announced another tool for citizens and visitors to reach dispatchers during emergencies – Text to 911 is now available in Gallatin County.

Officials urge the community to always call 911 when possible, but to use this service when that is not feasible. The ability to text message dispatchers will be beneficial in many situations.

Text to 911 provides deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired communities direct access to 911 services. It also provides access to 911 in situations where safety would be compromised if a caller were speaking out loud, such as domestic violence, home invasions, or active shootings, for example…

Iredell ECOM implements program for alarm calls (NC)

by | May 31, 2021 | Comm Center News

The Iredell County Emergency Communications Center is the 87th Emergency Communications Center in the United States and the 10th Emergency Communications Center in North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) program. Iredell County went live with the ASAP to PSAP program at 8:30 a.m. on May 20 receiving burglar alarm, fire alarm, and medical alarm calls direct through automated services with many of the area alarm company providers… READ MORE

DC begins final testing in shifting 911 calls to mental health counselors

DC begins final testing in shifting 911 calls to mental health counselors

by | May 31, 2021 | Comm Center News

D.C. is kicking off a final round of testing before it launches a new program next week aimed at directing some 911 calls away from police to mental health experts.

Starting Tuesday, some 911 calls involving individuals in mental distress, who are not armed and do not pose a safety threat, will be routed to counselors at the city’s Department of Behavioral Health.

“We will screen those calls, of course, to ensure there are no safety issues or any threat to the patient or anyone else,” said Cleo Subido, director of the Office of Unified Communications…

Richardson County talks with Southeast Communications 911 Center (NE)

by | May 31, 2021 | Comm Center News

FALLS CITY – Richardson County commissioners may have found their answer to 911 dispatching dilemmas with the Southeast Communications 911 Center.

Commissioners expressed interest Tuesday in joining the 911 dispatching center in Beatrice to improve service and spread out the cost of upgrading to the next generation 911.

Commissioner John Caverzagie said Tuesday that negotiations with the Falls City City Council have stalled, but Sheriff Rick Hardesty continues to push for the elimination of the current process of calls going to the police station and then being transferred if the emergency is outside of city limits…31

Closure of OPP East Region Communications Centre a ‘loss to the community’ says mayor (Canada)

by | May 31, 2021 | Comm Center News

Tucked away in a large commercial building off Cornelia street west in Smiths Falls — is the Ontario Provincial Police’s East Region Communications Centre. The OPP has announced it will be closing the facility, which employs more than a hundred mostly civilians.

The move will be an economic blow to the town. “These are good-paying jobs, with specialised skills,” Smiths Falls mayor Shawn Pankow said. “It’s a loss to the community and unfortunately, there will likely be people from our community that will have to move on to somewhere else, and uproot their families… READ MORE

Witness to triple shooting says 911 calls went unanswered; St. Louis police chief says improvements are coming (MO)

Witness to triple shooting says 911 calls went unanswered; St. Louis police chief says improvements are coming (MO)

by | May 31, 2021 | Comm Center News

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden is discussing problems with the 911 dispatch service after a witness to a triple shooting failed to get an answer after calling repeatedly.

There was an explanation for what happened in this case, Hayden said. The chief admitted issues with 911 but said improvements have already begun.

“We just couldn’t get through. We sat on hold,” the witness said…