Comm Center News
AT&T, Verizon reject U.S. request to delay 5G wireless plans
WASHINGTON — Verizon and AT&T have rejected a request by the U.S. government to delay the rollout of next-generation wireless technology. A joint letter Sunday from the telecommunications giants to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Steve Dickson,...
Page County ECC experiencing issues, impact on 911 calls (VA)
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Page County Emergency Communications Center has announced that CenturyLink/Lumen is experiencing issues that are affecting 911 lines in the county. If you call 911, you may be re-routed to one of the Page County ECC administrative lines....
Staff shortages force N.C. EMS agency to ask FEMA for ‘ambulance strike teams’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg EMS has requested “ambulance strike teams” as it faces a more transmissible COVID-19 variant, an ongoing staffing shortage and an increase in service calls. As of Monday, 33 Medic employees are in isolation due to COVID-19, the agency’s...
Omega to Echo: Kenosha Fire Department assigns levels to EMS calls (WI)
Omega. Alpha. Bravo. Charlie. Delta. Echo. Kenosha Fire Department is now utilizing these codes to classify medical service calls as a safety initiative as emergency units are dispatched. Division Chief of EMS Nicholas Eschmann said whenever someone calls 911 for...
New tool puts 911 on faster tracking (KS)
If you're thinking about pulling a “Crank Yanker” trick on Lyon County 911 operators, think again. The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center announced a new tool Sunday to track incoming calls. A Facebook statement said it can “possibly see your 911 call before...
Marion County 911 experiences hourlong outage during New Year’s call frenzy (IN)
Marion County's 911 center experienced an hourlong outage after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Day, while hundreds of calls poured in reporting celebratory gunshots. "I have never seen anything even close to what happened last night," said Michael Hubbs,...
Lincoln County Emergency Services Says Goodbye to One of Their Own (ME)
Lincoln County Communications Center Supervisor Mark Creamer always put family first. And his community was his family. That’s the consensus of the people who knew him and of the people who worked with him. Creamer was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in June of 2021....
Franklin Co. Emergency Communications using Phone App for precise location of emergencies (KS)
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - “What3Words” uses a GPS tracking system that breaks down the world into 10 feet by 10 feet virtual squares. What3Words is an app and website developed in the UK that’s trying to make it easier to find people in emergencies, in crowds, or in...
Language service to help Smyth deputies, dispatch (VA)
A language barrier can be difficult in any circumstances, but when first-responders and those they’re trying to help can’t understand one another, the hurdle can be life-threatening. Last week, the Smyth County Board of Supervisors took action to ease communication...
FirstNet innovates disaster recovery for emergency management
By Bruce Fitzgerald, Senior Public Safety Advisor, First Responder Network Authority FirstNet helps with the four phases of emergency management – preparedness(link is external), response(link is external), recovery, and mitigation. I’d like to dive deeper...
Durham 911 call taker says training struggles, worker burnout have led to ongoing operator shortage (NC)
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – Almost half of the 911 operator positions in Durham are vacant, according to data on the city of Durham’s website. There are currently 28 vacancies out of 60 call taker positions, according to the website. One year ago when CBS 17 first started...
Appeals Court Denies Petitions for Review of Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz
An appeals court rejected petitions for review from multiple organizations asking that the FCC’s rules allowing unlicensed use in the 6 GHz band be remanded back to the FCC for reconsideration. In April 2020, the FCC adopted rules allowing for unlicensed use of the 6...
Answering the call: O.C. Emergency communications will move to state-of-the-art dispatch center (VA)
While law enforcement officers and fire & EMS crews are out on the front lines responding to emergencies, the unsung heroes of the 911 dispatch team are operating behind closed doors, cooped up in a small room in the basement of the Gordon building on West Main...
Public safety officials respond to concerns about emergency response times (GA)
Habersham citizens have shared their frustrations and concerns with slow response times from the county’s emergency services online, and citizens brought those concerns forward at Tuesday night’s public safety town hall meeting. At Habersham County Commissioner Bruce...
No more ‘Band-Aids’ and ‘bubblegum.’ Norwich dispatch radios to see much-needed upgrades. (CT)
With $3.4 million in federal funding provided through the American Rescue Plan, Norwich City Council gave the green light for a series of substantial upgrades to the city’s antiquated emergency dispatch system. “We have known for a decade, maybe longer, that our...
Jefferson City Police Department proposes hiring incentives to combat staffing shortage (MO)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Jefferson City's Public Safety Committee unanimously voted Thursday morning to move forward with hiring incentives for police officers and communications operators. The proposal will now go to the city council for approval. If approved, the...
Sumner County approves bonus pay for first responders (OR)
The Sumner County Commission approved the expenditure of almost $2.9 million from American Rescue Plan funds for COVID-19 hazard pay for first responders in the county. At its Dec. 13 meeting, commissioners allocated $2,892,350 for bonus pay for the county EMS,...
Welcome two heroes: how two women saved their lives on the 911 phone (OH)
A 21-year-old Chaglin Valley dispatcher said on a phone call that helped the unconscious woman get her pulse back, giving all the glory to the stranger. Chaglin Falls, Ohio — A Chagrin Valley Dispatcher After helping to save a woman’s life on the phone, she is greeted...
Lake County emergency medical dispatch center re-accredited (FL)
TAVARES — Lake County and the Office of Public Safety Support have been approved for re-accreditation as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) for emergency dispatching. The re-accreditation is awarded by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) and...
Behind the scenes of 911 Call center as staffing crisis continues (AZ)
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Door dash driver Ryan Menehune’s call to 911 after a customer threatened to shoot him fell well outside the goal to answer emergency calls. “I started making my exit around the corner to where I had parked. And that’s when I heard him...
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
Subscribe to Comm Center News
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates
Share Your Story
Join our community to share your experience and connect and collaborate with colleagues.
Join Our Newsletter
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.


