Comm Center News
Arizona National Guard helps staff 911 dispatch
TUCSON (KVOA) - A year ago, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared an emergency at the border and deployed the Arizona National Guard to assist law enforcement agencies in Southern Arizona. Now, more than 200 Arizona National Guard members are surging personnel capacity for...
Championing public safety through tech transformations
While cybersecurity is a growing concern in this day and age, general public safety and good ol’ physical security should not fall to the wayside, as these areas will easily benefit from technological gains in the years to come. Communications are key to public safety...
What’s your emergency? For St. Louis, it’s a crisis-level lack of 911 dispatchers. Did anti-police sentiment exacerbate the problem? (MO)
When the city of St. Louis took over its police department from the state in 2013, it immediately cut the number of 911 dispatchers. Now, it’s absolutely desperate to find more of them. With 40% of 911 callers being put on hold, some for 10 minutes or more, St. Louis...
Daviess County has a new 911 Central Dispatch Center (IN)
DAVIESS CO. – A new 911 Central Dispatch Center is up and running in Daviess County. The new center combined dispatchers from the City of Washington and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. Daviess County Sheriff Gary Allison says the idea was formed many years...
City dispatcher earns leadership award (AK)
The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center sent one of its dispatchers to an annual manager’s program last fall for rigorous skill development tailored to emergency medical services (or EMS) leaders. In January, the program, operated by Fitch and Associates,...
Lewis County Searches for New 911 Communications Director (WA)
Lewis County is actively searching for a “proven leader” to plan, coordinate and manage the operations and activities of the county’s 911 communications center. “Long-term planning for the future of 911 in our county is happening now,” said County Manager Erik Martin....
PCSO recognizes Employees of the Year (OH)
ATON — The Preble County Sheriff’s Office recently recognized the 2021 Employee of the Year award winners in each division of the office. Employees are chosen based on several criteria, including professionalism, job knowledge and ability, teamwork, performance, and...
NJSP Telecommunicator Killed By Wrong-Way Driver While Headed To Work: Authorities (NJ)
A 62-year-old man on his way to work as a New Jersey State Police telecommunicator was killed in an early-morning crash on Friday, March 11, authorities said. Daryl Akers Jr. was heading north in a Jeep on Route 206 when a GMC Silverado heading south cross over the...
Maryland County Faces 911 Wait Times, Talks Consolidated Center
TNS) — Arnold resident Kirsten Neumann's daughter Vivian is 4 years old and has been in remission for a year from stage four neuroblastoma — a cancer that grows in immature nerve tissue. Vivian is participating in a clinical trial for a drug to treat the illness. On...
York County 911 staffer helps deliver twins — over the phone (PA)
Emergency call operators have to deal with a lot of stress on the job. On a typical day, they may have to deal with medical emergencies or crimes in progress. But most go their entire careers without themselves stepping into the role of midwife. Not 38-year-old Katie...
Texoma telecommunicators recognized at annual banquet (TX)
Sherman, Texas -- Eric M. Bridges, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) announced today the success of TCOG’s annual Texoma Texoma Regional 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Banquet. On Thursday, March 10, telecommunicators within the region were awarded...
AT&T says FirstNet unit grew 60% to a $1.7 billion business in 2021
FirstNet has been an “undisputed success” for AT&T, growing 60% in 2021 to generate $1.7 billion in revenue for the carrier giant that has been contracted to build and maintain the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN), according to an AT&T...
Harrisonburg-Rockingham ECC in need of full time communicators (VA)
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center (HRECC), or 911 center, is looking to hire six full-time communicators to assist with emergency and non-emergency calls. You do not need any experience and they will give you...
How Austin Police 911 has prepared for SXSW (TX)
AUSTIN (KXAN) — South by Southwest is here and so are the crowds. “Thousands upon thousands of more people coming to Austin,” said Lt. Ken Murphy, the head of emergency communications with the Austin Police Department. “Instead of overloading those sectors with...
‘A delay between life and death’: Latino forum highlights lack of bilingual dispatchers as one of many communication gaps in Garfield County (CO)
Garfield County’s emergency services operate with 21 people directly responsible for running dispatch but only two speak Spanish, a Garfield County official said to the county’s Latino Community Committee on Wednesday. “But one isn’t very fluent,” said Tom Holman,...
Wisconsin first responders come together in music video (again)
By Suzie Ziegler
BELOIT, Wis. — First responders in Rock County, Wisconsin, showed off their musical talent and dance skills with a new music video.
Earlier this month, the Rock County 911 Communications Center shared the “Sheesh” music video on YouTube, which shows cops, firefighters and more responders grooving to music by Surfaces and Tai Verdes. In the video, employees throw a beach party in the dead of a Wisconsin winter, complete with a cookout, kayaking (on a frozen lake), snow angels and other chilly lawn games.
The video is part of an effort to humanize public safety personnel and engage the community, reported WCLO Radio. The communications center produced a similar project in 2015 to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. You can find that music video here.
Watch the full “Sheesh” video here or by clicking below:
Branch County using high-tech tools to hire and train 911 dispatchers (MI)
For Branch County 911 Director Bob Swick, the search continues to fill dispatchers positions at Central Dispatch. His office turned to some high-tech tools to screen applicants to fill the high-stress jobs, which are lifelines 24 hours a day, seven days a week,...
Luzerne County aiming for July 1 activation of new 911 radio communication system (PA)
Luzerne County’s long-awaited new 911 emergency radio communication system should be operational by July 1 if all construction, installation and testing is completed on schedule, county Interim Operational Services Division Head Fred Rosencrans told council last week....
Fayetteville hopes to retain and attract dispatchers (AR)
FAYETTEVILLE -- Dispatchers for the city have continued to answer calls and get emergency responders where they need to go in a timely manner, but it's been more of a grind than usual, according to the police chief. The city's dispatch center experienced high turnover...
Mount Clemens votes against $5 annual surcharge for e-911 dispatch services (MI)
Would you be willing to pay a $5 annual surcharge to make sure Macomb County’s enhanced 911 dispatch system has the proper technology and trained people to operate it? The city of Mount Clemens says no. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and his team plan to ask the...
Upcoming Webinar
4.9 GHz Band: Review of the FCC Order
On October 22, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) released its Eighth Report and Order (Eighth R&O) regarding utilization of the 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 GHz) band that protects incumbent users as requested by us, the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA). This Eighth R&O addresses a number of issues related to the use of this band by public safety. Please join us for a briefing on this order and how it impacts public safety.
This presentation will be led by Chief Jeff Johnson (ret) and Attorney Jason Karp, one of the nation’s leading experts in public safety spectrum regulations.
REGISTER
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