When the city of St. Louis took over its police department from the state in 2013, it immediately cut the number of 911 dispatchers. Now, it’s absolutely desperate to find more of them. With 40% of 911 callers being put on hold, some for 10 minutes or more, St. Louis...

DAVIESS CO. – A new 911 Central Dispatch Center is up and running in Daviess County. The new center combined dispatchers from the City of Washington and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. Daviess County Sheriff Gary Allison says the idea was formed many years...

The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center sent one of its dispatchers to an annual manager’s program last fall for rigorous skill development tailored to emergency medical services (or EMS) leaders. In January, the program, operated by Fitch and Associates,...

Lewis County is actively searching for a “proven leader” to plan, coordinate and manage the operations and activities of the county’s 911 communications center. “Long-term planning for the future of 911 in our county is happening now,” said County Manager Erik Martin....

ATON — The Preble County Sheriff’s Office recently recognized the 2021 Employee of the Year award winners in each division of the office. Employees are chosen based on several criteria, including professionalism, job knowledge and ability, teamwork, performance, and...

A 62-year-old man on his way to work as a New Jersey State Police telecommunicator was killed in an early-morning crash on Friday, March 11, authorities said. Daryl Akers Jr. was heading north in a Jeep on Route 206 when a GMC Silverado heading south cross over the...

TNS) — Arnold resident Kirsten Neumann's daughter Vivian is 4 years old and has been in remission for a year from stage four neuroblastoma — a cancer that grows in immature nerve tissue. Vivian is participating in a clinical trial for a drug to treat the illness. On...

Emergency call operators have to deal with a lot of stress on the job. On a typical day, they may have to deal with medical emergencies or crimes in progress. But most go their entire careers without themselves stepping into the role of midwife. Not 38-year-old Katie...

Sherman, Texas -- Eric M. Bridges, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) announced today the success of TCOG’s annual Texoma Texoma Regional 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Banquet. On Thursday, March 10, telecommunicators within the region were awarded...

FirstNet has been an “undisputed success” for AT&T, growing 60% in 2021 to generate $1.7 billion in revenue for the carrier giant that has been contracted to build and maintain the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN), according to an AT&T...

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center (HRECC), or 911 center, is looking to hire six full-time communicators to assist with emergency and non-emergency calls. You do not need any experience and they will give you...

AUSTIN (KXAN) — South by Southwest is here and so are the crowds. “Thousands upon thousands of more people coming to Austin,” said Lt. Ken Murphy, the head of emergency communications with the Austin Police Department. “Instead of overloading those sectors with...

Garfield County’s emergency services operate with 21 people directly responsible for running dispatch but only two speak Spanish, a Garfield County official said to the county’s Latino Community Committee on Wednesday. “But one isn’t very fluent,” said Tom Holman,...

By Suzie Ziegler 

BELOIT, Wis. — First responders in Rock County, Wisconsin, showed off their musical talent and dance skills with a new music video. 

Earlier this month, the Rock County 911 Communications Center shared the “Sheesh” music video on YouTube, which shows cops, firefighters and more responders grooving to music by Surfaces and Tai Verdes. In the video, employees throw a beach party in the dead of a Wisconsin winter, complete with a cookout, kayaking (on a frozen lake), snow angels and other chilly lawn games. 

The video is part of an effort to humanize public safety personnel and engage the community, reported WCLO Radio. The communications center produced a similar project in 2015 to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. You can find that music video here.

Watch the full “Sheesh” video here or by clicking below:

For Branch County 911 Director Bob Swick, the search continues to fill dispatchers positions at Central Dispatch. His office turned to some high-tech tools to screen applicants to fill the high-stress jobs, which are lifelines 24 hours a day, seven days a week,...

Luzerne County’s long-awaited new 911 emergency radio communication system should be operational by July 1 if all construction, installation and testing is completed on schedule, county Interim Operational Services Division Head Fred Rosencrans told council last week....

FAYETTEVILLE -- Dispatchers for the city have continued to answer calls and get emergency responders where they need to go in a timely manner, but it's been more of a grind than usual, according to the police chief. The city's dispatch center experienced high turnover...

Would you be willing to pay a $5 annual surcharge to make sure Macomb County’s enhanced 911 dispatch system has the proper technology and trained people to operate it? The city of Mount Clemens says no. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and his team plan to ask the...

ST. LOUIS — City leaders are tapping police officers to work overtime in the understaffed 911 dispatch center, an attempt to address the 40% of 911 callers in St. Louis still being put on hold in recent months. Under the plan, the 10 newest graduates from the St....

It shouldn’t have to be stated, but calling 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. Emergencies like medical issues and car wrecks, fires and crimes. You know, real emergencies. We’ve all heard stories of people calling this special number for mundane reasons. I’ve heard of...