Comm Center News

County to hire 911 director for future consolidation (AR)

The Crawford County Quorum Court is looking for a 911 director for the upcoming consolidation.  Currently, the county has a 911 advisory board, but the board has appointed a committee made up of the county's police chiefs, fire chiefs, EMS, and sheriff's department. ...

Borough to hire for 2 dispatch positions (AK)

The Kenai Peninsula Borough will hire two borough employees to replace outgoing state employees at the Soldotna Public Safety Communication Center following a unanimous vote in support of the hire by the assembly during their April 20 meeting. The SPSCC, which is...

FirstNet | Looking Back at an Unprecedented Year

Following every major large-scale disaster – whether manmade or natural – public safety develops an after-action report. These are vital to helping ensure that we are even more prepared for the next major event. And if there was ever a year that deserved such...

Lewis County to Pay $210000 Settlement to Former 911 Dispatcher in Domestic Violence Suit (WA)

Apr. 21—Lewis County has agreed to pay out $210,000 to former 911 dispatcher Jerrie O’Connor, who alleged that county officials gave her schedule to her domestic abuser, allowed her abuser’s friends into the facility and retaliated against her for seeking accommodations under the Domestic Violence Leave Act.The settlement was announced by O’Connor’s attorney this week, four years after O’Connor brought her suit in Thurston County Superior Court.”The settlement is a victory for survivors of domestic violence,” O’Connor said in a prepared statement. “It means that employers cannot get away with these kinds of demands for verification and retaliatory acts even when the abuser is a law enforcement officer.”In 2017, an investigation by the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) backed up many of O’Connor’s claims, and the agency slapped Lewis County with a $2,500 fine for violating the Domestic Violence Leave Act, which guarantees victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking leave for medical or legal reasons or to relocate.In their report, L&I found that the county acted in a “reckless and negligent fashion,” according to previous reporting by The Chronicle. L&I also found that “Lewis County was not acting in good faith” when it released hundreds of pages of information to O’Connor’s alleged abuser, who had made verbal public records requests to the countyL&I’s report also said the county had denied O’Connor leave guaranteed under state law, retaliated against her for requesting time off and requested verification of her situation not required under state law.”Ms. O’Connor provided her supervisors at Lewis County all five of the forms of proof of domestic violence provided under (state law), yet the county demanded even more invasive forms of proof” reads the press release from O’Connor’s attorney, Lauren Berkowitz.”We are pleased to see Lewis County take accountability for its actions,” Berkowitz said in a prepared statement. “This was an egregious case of express violations of the law, which Ms. O’Connor pointed out to the county in writing and in real time. We hope the county and other employers faced with employees seeking domestic violence leave in complex legal circumstances will recognize that no employer is above the law.”

Dispatch-fueled OCD : 911dispatchers

When I started my career as a dispatcher four years ago I was 24, fresh out of college and still living at ma & pa's crib. I worked 2nd shift, Wednesday/Thursday off (upgraded to Sunday/Monday now, woo!) . My social life took a hit, but the rents took care of most...

Estes appreciates dispatchers (CO)

They are the unsung heroes of the front lines of first responders working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, unseen and unthought of by most. That is until someone needs to call 9-1-1. They are the dispatchers that answer our emergency calls and send...

MOWW honors Gillespie Communications Center (TX)

The Hill Country Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) recognized Public Safety Telecommunicators Week at its April meeting. The guest speaker was Les Metzler, director of the Gillespie County Communications Center. In his remarks, Metzler described...

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.


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