NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — They might be behind the scenes, but they are crucial first responders. “The very first voice that they hear,” says Alisa Franklin. “I guess it’s been said that we’re the first, first responders although we don’t get recognized that much....

Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge, Easton Police Chief Gary Sullivan, and Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center Director Steve Hooke announced that their agencies were among several first responder agencies throughout the region paying a special visit to...

Andrew Saunders is the new director of the Athens-Clarke County Central Services Department, one of the government’s top administrative posts. In his new job, Saunders will oversee Athens-Clarke’s facilities management, fleet management, landscape management and...

SOUTH BEND — A new website that could be up and running in about a week could save emergency dispatchers time and first responders precious protective gear, as St. Joseph County moves toward its likely peak time in May of coronavirus cases. The website is meant to...

Natrona County residents can now contact emergency services through dispatch by texting as well as calling 911, according to a news release from the Casper Police Department on Tuesday. “This new service could be a life saver for people with speech and hearing...

(MURFREESBORO) As National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week ends, local Communications Dispatcher Jenny Mathias was selected the 2020 Dispatcher of the Year for the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. She was chosen based on her expertise to help locate two...

Under the change, county dispatchers will follow Emergency Management Dispatch protocol to ask a caller a series of questions before determining the level of response. Dispatchers have been automatically sending out either the rescue truck or a fire engine, whichever...

ELMA – The Selma Police Department announced that Lacie Cates has been named as its 2019 Dispatcher of the Year. In a post on social media, the SPD reported that Cates has been with their department for nearly two years and has previously served as emergency...

Union representatives complained that fumes from a generator at the Laraway Communications Center caused dispatchers to become dizzy and nauseated three times in the past several months. The incidents occurred when a diesel-powered backup generator in the building...

Police Chief Andrew Lipson and Fire Chief John Sullivan recognized the town’s public safety dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, sponsored each year by APCO International, honors the thousands...

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WEAR) — According to the National Emergency Number Association, 9-1-1 dispatchers answer more than 240 million calls a year. Sue Straughn helps us recognize these unsung heroes who are often referred to as the first, first responders. "9-1-1,...

After more than a decade as a fire dispatcher, Jason Molina knows what questions to ask so callers can get the help they need and feel better for getting it. “The people that we talk to are having the worst days of their lives,” Molina said. “You have to be able to...

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Dispatchers in Seminole County reported Sunday that they received an increase in the number of 911 calls from unattended children during Florida’s stay-at-home order. The report comes one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that children...

HENDERSON, Ky. - In 1968, an Alabama senator made the first 911 call in the United States. The rest, as they say, is history. The now universal number to call in an emergency can't exist without the uniquely trained individuals at the other end of the line --...

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Public Safety is pausing the sending of AMBER Alerts to cell phones after an early-morning alert contained “no useful information.” At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, many Utahns received a message on their mobile devices that merely...

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) — The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center is reporting an ongoing utility outage that could impact residents' ability to call 911. Shentel phone service has been disrupted to an estimated 80 homes in the Criders...

In this episode of In Public Safety Matters, Dr. Kevin Kupietz, who has spent more than 30 years working in emergency management, discusses his role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as a member of the National Disaster Medical System. Learn more about the...

HR & Wellness Best Practices for PSAPs During the COVID-19 PandemicFriday, April 24 | 3PM Eastern (live) or On-Demand
FREE! Click here to register!
 It’s essential to maintain effective 9-1-1 center operations during these unprecedented times. We must keep our ourselves – and our teams – safe and healthy so that we can continue to protect the public. Attend this special COVID-19 webinar to learn:
Answers to HR-related questions on issues such as health screenings, essential-worker designations, staffing policies, and more; and
Actions you can take to promote wellness and mental hygiene in the center and at home.
Can’t attend on the 24th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive.
Presenters: John Kelly, ENP ? Ottosen, DiNolfo, Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd. | Dr. Michelle Lilly ? Northern Illinois University | Jim Marshall ? 911 Training Institute
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.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) – During a pandemic, when the public needs a calm voice on the other end of a 911 call the most, communities across the country are celebrating National Telecommunicator Appreciation Week. All week, volunteers and businesses have been...

Telecommunications operators are the unsung heroes of public safety. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These are the men and women who collect the initial information and pass it along to the first responders in the field. Often they are able to give...