Comm Center News
Texarkana, Texas, to replace emergency sirens | Spring Lake Park siren, the first, will be able to deliver voice announcements (TX)
TEXARKANA, Texas — The City Council has begun a project to update its outdoor warning system with three sirens, one located in Spring Lake Park. "Several of the sirens have been in place since the 70s," said Tracey Litton, deputy emergency management coordinator with...
New tool now available for Ontario County first responders (NY)
CANANDAIGUA N.Y. (WHEC) – A new potentially life-saving tool is at the fingertips of first responders in Ontario County. As part of an upgrade to its phone system, emergency coordinators at the county’s 9-1-1 center are using a program called “Rapid SOS”, which uses...
NKY Police Officer, Dispatcher Complete State Training (KY)
A Northern Kentucky police officer and a dispatcher graduated from their training programs at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training. Independence Police Officer Douglas M. Wolking was one of thirty-one officers to graduate from the basic training...
Boston Fire chief Joe Finn is retiring after 36 years on the job (MA)
Character reveals itself in bad times more than in good. It would be totally accurate to say that Joe Finn’s character revealed itself at any number of fires he has worked over the last 36 years, none more so than a horrible March day in the Back Bay in 2014, when the...
Despite challenges, CARS’ volunteer-staffed ambulances still come when called (VA)
When you call them, they still come. On a recent morning, Vikram Gupta scrambled out of a Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad ambulance and took two-at-a-time the stairs of a city home where an elderly man fell in a second-story bedroom. Behind followed driver...
Irondequoit Police Chief Richard Tantalo to take county’s top public safety job (NY)
Irondequoit's Police Chief Richard Tantalo will be taking the helm as Monroe County's director of safety. It was one of five new appointments announced by Monroe County Executive Adam Bello on Monday. Tantalo, 63, of Irondequoit, whose law enforcement career...
Muncie ambulances to cover entire city after agreement with Delaware County (IN)
MUNCIE, Ind. — The City of Muncie will be expanding its EMS service after Delaware County EMS agreed to pull its service from the city limits. According to a press release from the city, Delaware County EMS will no longer service parts of the city as...
Copley trustees vote to add Springfield to 3-community emergency dispatch center (OH)
COPLEY — A joint emergency dispatch center for Copley, Barberton and Norton may soon expand its coverage area to Springfield Township. On Monday, Copley trustees voted to add Springfield to Southwest Summit Communications Center, which handles police, fire and EMS...
Five cities join forces to create South Dale EMS (AL)
DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) -- Dale County has a new crew to respond to emergencies. The South Dale EMS held a press conference Friday morning to announce the new operation. Napier Field, Midland City, Pinckard, Newton and Grimes are all small towns along Highway 134 in...
Minister: New Public Safety Radio System (Bermuda)
“This new radio platform will enable public safety agencies to coordinate more efficiently than in past days,” Minister of National Security Wayne Caines said, explaining that “for the 1st time in Bermuda, every radio on the system across the various departments will...
Gallatin County may put public safety levies on June ballot (MT)
The Gallatin County Commission will decide on Tuesday whether to ask voters to approve tax increases for public safety on the June 2 ballot. The commissioners are considering two mill levies — one for the 911 Dispatch Center and one for Search and Rescue. The 911...
Emergency Services Center to get new phone system (TX)
The Emergency Services Center on County Services Drive is getting a new phone system. Members of the Putnam County Emergency Communications District unanimously approved the emergency purchase of a new Mitel phone system for the building Thursday. The purchase is...
Safeguards help prevent false wireless emergency alerts in NC, but some mistakes are inevitable (NC)
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Wireless Emergency Alerts allow public safety officials to send warnings directly to cell phones in case of a potentially life-threatening incident. Recently, though, erroneous alerts have gone out with long delays in correcting the messages. It...
Partnership helps dispatchers map AEDs in Stearns County (MN)
A partnership in Stearns County is bringing more awareness to heart health. February is American Heart Month, and now there's a new dispatch mapping tool to locate where automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are throughout the county. "I had a heart attack 15 years...
Emergency Services Center to get new phone system (TN)
The Emergency Services Center on County Services Drive is getting a new phone system. Members of the Putnam County Emergency Communications District unanimously approved the emergency purchase of a new Mitel phone system for the building Thursday. The purchase is not...
There’s a bill that would classify 911 dispatchers as first responders, and this local union is supporting it (VA)
They’re the first voice of reason you’ll hear when tragedy strikes, maintaining a calm steadiness all the while also ensuring first responders get to you in the safest and most efficient manner. They’re public safety telecommunicators or 911 dispatchers though Donald...
First Responder Friday: Landon Church, Stokes County E-911 Dispatcher
Texoma first responders recognized during 10th annual award banquet (TX)
SHERMAN, Tex. (KXII) - Thursday night, over a dozen telecommunicators were awarded for their service during the 10th Annual Texoma Regional 9-1-1 Telecommunications Banquet. The Texoma Council of Governments has recognized responders for their devoted and dedicated...
Cincinnati names new director for Emergency Communications Center (OH)
CINCINNATI (FOX19) - City Manager Patrick Duhaney announced on Thursday the city’s Emergency Communications Center has a new director, effective March 8. Bill Vedra will assume leadership responsibilities from Jayson Dunn, who had been serving as Special Project...
AI Is Coming: Will I Still Have A Job?
Advanced technology raises questions about the future of emergency communications
[Originally published in the March/April 2020 PSC magazine.]
By Suzanne Ladd, Senior Program Manager for Seminole County Fire/EMS Emergency Communications
It’s really hard to believe that it was just 51 years ago when the first 9-1-1 call was made in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama. At that time, this was innovation and just the beginning of emergency communications center (ECC) operations. Nobody conceived, beyond the world of Star Trek, how technology would play a pivotal role in our world. The introduction of advanced technology is no longer a sci-fi thriller. It’s here, living amongst us, giving us directions while we’re driving and locating us when we need someone to pick us up. The same holds true inside emergency communications centers around the nation. Technology has advanced so quickly that public safety telecommunicators with more than 25 years on the job may still remember a large PBX phone console with multiple big red 9-1-1 buttons that lit up when someone called. They may also remember handwriting incident information on cards and passing it along a strategically planned dispatch route within the center that completely relied on human intervention.
Today in 2020, emergency communications centers face overwhelming technology inclusion. Rarely will you find a dispatcher writing anything out on paper instead of typing it directly into computer-aided dispatch (CAD). The trained telecommunicator is not just concerned with taking a call and transmitting information to the field responders. They are constantly being inundated with new CAD systems, 9-1-1 phone systems and supporting interface systems like emergency police, fire and medical dispatch software, station alerting, automatic dispatch, advanced vehicle locating systems (AVL), caller locating software, CAD to CAD, advanced radio systems, traffic cams, GPS, updates, upgrades, and new processes and procedures with all of the above. It’s no wonder that it’s hard to fill the seats and keep them filled with experienced telecommunicators!
The job itself is an emotional roller coaster without the added technology. And the technology is supposed to make the job easier and more efficient — right? Smarter, faster and never calls in sick! Hmmm … well maybe not in the traditional cough-cough kind of way, but system hiccups, workstation and software failures are an everyday reality, which is an added bonus to the telecommunicator relying on it while working an incident. Many may ask, is this worth all the stress? And most importantly, will I still have a job in 10 years with advancing technology? My answer is yes, it is definitely worth it and yes, your job is safe.
Let me start by saying that a lot of today’s technology is smarter, faster and more efficient. It frees up the dispatcher and allows more focus on information gathering, while using resources that ultimately protect the field units and provide faster response to those in need. Advance vehicle locating is a great example of smarter, faster and more efficient. It uses GPS and other agency/area parameters built into CAD to select the closest most appropriate unit to an incident instead of a telecommunicator selecting the assigned area unit or fire station that may not be the closest or even available. There is no doubt that the benefits are real and save lives. But the key to all this great technology is the human factor. That same call may require human knowledge beyond an algorithm that can change who, what, where and how many units are responding.
The human factor can never be replicated. People need people. The emotional connection that makes this job so difficult and at the same time so worthwhile is something AI cannot replicate. AI may one day be able to relay, learn and regurgitate emotional words, but it will never be able to have emotions and connect to people in a way that is human — the way a telecommunicator connects to their caller who is scared or the way a telecommunicator connects to units in the field that need back up and your voice is all they have. Emergency communications is getting more advanced every day. The job is changing, growing and advancing but not going away
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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