Ron Sams, Montgomery's director of public safety, has resigned from his position, according to a news release.  Sams, who was hired by the city in 2010 as the director of city investigations was named the director of public safety by former Mayor Todd Strange in...

(ABC 6 News) -- Before health care workers on the front lines can give care to patients, COVID-19 related, or otherwise, there are a handful of gatekeepers playing a vital role to keep the system going. “Our emergency medical dispatchers are often the very first voice...

Laurie Anderson, ENP elected 2nd Vice President; Cassie Lowery, ENP elected Southeastern Director; Bruce Romero, ENP elected Western Director; Karin Marquez, ENP elected Private Sector Director.
Today, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association announced that Laurie Anderson, ENP of the Charlotte County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, Cassie Lowery, ENP of Rutherford County (TN) Emergency Communications, Bruce Romero, ENP of the Arapahoe County (CO) E911 Emergency Communications Service Authority, and Karin Marquez, ENP of RapidSOS have been elected by the organizations? membership to serve on its Board of Directors and help lead the association?s mission to improve 9-1-1 through research, standards development, training, education, outreach, and advocacy.
Anderson, who will ascend to 1st Vice President in 2021 and then association President in 2022, has been a public-safety professional for nearly three decades. Active on both the local and national levels, she is a past president of the Florida NENA chapter and currently serves on the state?s E911 Board as an At-Large Representative. She sits on NENA?s Education Advisory Board and is a founding Co-Chair of the association?s Wellness Committee.
Lowery, who will represent NENA members from the Southeastern Region on the board, has worked in the 9-1-1 industry for twenty-five years and has volunteered at both the county and state level on multiple boards and committees. She served as Secretary for the Tennessee NENA board for six years and currently serves as Chair of the Financial Study Committee for the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board.
Romero, who will represent NENA members from the Western Region on the board, has worked in 9-1-1 since 1988. In 2015, he was elected 2nd Vice President of Colorado NENA/APCO and completed his term as Immediate Past President in 2019. He has served as the NENA Bylaws Committee Chair since 2018. He is the Vice Chair of the Colorado PUC ESInet Users? Group and Treasurer of the Colorado 9-1-1 Training Standards Institute.
Marquez, a two-decade-plus veteran of 9-1-1, will represent NENA?s private-sector members on the board. Beginning her tenure in public-safety as a dispatcher and having spent the majority of her career working in the PSAP before joining RapidSOS, she brings a wealth of operations- and technical-knowledge to her board position.
Anderson, Lowery, Romero, Marquez, and six other Board of Directors members will be sworn in this June: President Gary Bell, ENP; 1st Vice President, Jennifer White, ENP; Immediate Past President, Monica Million, ENP; Northeastern Director, Erin Malloy, ENP; North Central Director, Daryl Ostendorf, ENP; and Canadian Director, Holly Barkwell, ENP.

It took four years and millions of dollars but finally the City of Beverly Hills is parting ways with Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli. [...]At least 21 current and former BHPD department [including dispatch] employees, however, were unsatisfied and filed civil lawsuits...

Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Murfreesboro Emergency Communications Center Communications Supervisor Tiffany Matthews and Communications Training Officer Brady Lutton have been named co-Public Safety Telecommunicator of the Year for their hard work and selfless actions....

The week is designated to recognize them for all that they do in their vital role in helping ensure the public are safe, but also for looking out for Law Enforcement Officers, Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical personnel and the many other persons whom they dispatch,...

Perhaps one of the few good things to come out of the Covid-19 crisis is the spotlight it has shone on the nation’s essential workers, from doctors and nurses to grocery clerks to first responders, and more. People generally understand “first responder” to be an...

Inside the Hennepin County Dispatch Center, the workflow is much different these days. New questions, such as "Do you have any flu-like symptoms?" have become part of the routine for 911 dispatchers like Cindy Galland. "I have never seen anything like this," Galland...

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Minnesota 9-1-1 dispatch centers seeing a 22 percent decrease in calls during the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s according to the state’s Emergency Communication division. In 2019, Minnesota dispatch centers received nearly 56,000 calls for the...

A day in the life of a dispatcher is ever-changing. But, people like Kylie Hargrove enjoy organizing the chaos. The Greenbrier resident and mother of two lives to serve others and acts as a lifeline between those in distress and the help they need. A dispatcher’s role...

When making emergency calls, the Jasper County Dispatchers are on the front line of gathering information and getting it to officers to respond to critical services for those in need. In April, telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are honored...

The Putnam County Emergency Communications District is moving forward with its new admin phone system. Putnam County 911 Director Penny Foister said the district received a $60,996 quote from Twin Lakes for the new Mitel phone system Wednesday afternoon....

Jack Daniel Distillery donated hand sanitizers to the Coffee County 911 Communications Center. To battle the supply shortage of hand sanitizer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jack Daniel Distillery began manufacturing the product, and the company has been donating hand...

NG9-1-1 Insights From a GIS Professional
Wednesday, April 29 | 3PM Eastern (live) or On-DemandFREE for NENA Members | Not a member? Join today to receive access!Click here to register!
In Next Generation 9-1-1, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) becomes the backbone of the infrastructure needed for location identification and call routing to PSAPs. Data quality is a key component of ensuring a smooth transition to NG9-1-1. There will be challenges in breaking down data silos within your organization and with surrounding agencies; you must be prepared to talk to your neighbors and partners to further the goals of better GIS data quality. Attend this hour-long webinar to learn:
The role of GIS in an NG9-1-1 world;
What you can do to ensure GIS-data integrity for accurate spatial call routing; and
How to work collaboratively across agencies to develop and implement a plan for effective address clean up and maintenance.
Can’t attend on the 29th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive.
Presenter: Keri Brennan, GISP – DATAMARK
CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point towards the ten-point maximum for NENA courses in the Professional Development CEU/Course Credits section.
Webinar Access Info: Dial-in and web-access details provided automatically via email upon registration.
Questions? Contact Amanda Tegtmeyer with the NENA Education team.

Yvette Baxley’s been answering 911 calls for 27 years — heart attacks, shootings, domestic violence, accidents. She knows just what to ask to keep people safe and calm. It’s all different now. The script has changed. Now, she must also protect the first responders...

Community Snapshot: The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners recognized Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, MVRDA, 911 emergency telecommunicators and call takers as first responders. In 2019, MVRDA 911 telecommunicators and call takers provided medical...

Self-Care for Women in 9-1-1
Thursday, May 14 | 1PM Eastern (live) or On-Demand
FREE! Click here to register!
Join NENA for the the latest edition of the Women in 9-1-1 (WIN) webinar series!
While we are all struggling with the anxiety and work- and life-changes caused by COVID-19, it?s more important than ever to be kind to ourselves and practice self-care. When your job is to help others, sometimes helping yourself takes a back burner. That may be ok for a short time, however it will not serve anyone in the long term. During this passionate and fun presentation, you?ll learn why taking care of yourself first is not optional. Come on a journey to choose more joy for yourself, so that you have more of it to share with others.
Can’t attend on the 14th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive.
Presenter: Barb Moses – High5 Leadership
CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point towards the ten-point maximum for NENA courses in the Professional Development CEU/Course Credits section.Webinar Access Info: Dial-in and web-access details provided automatically via email upon registration.