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Exclusive: Tearful reunion between FedEx employee and Marion County 911 dispatcher who stayed on the phone throughout mass shooting (IN)
INDIANAPOLIS — A Marion County 911 dispatcher, several months into the job, answered the call to help keep a FedEx employee safe during the mayhem of the mass shooting at the facility on April 15. The employee, Amber Casares, reached out to FOX59 to ask for assistance to meet the…fox59.com
Flagler’s McKenzie Davis named 2020 Florida State Elks Associations Law Enforcement Support Employee of the Year (FL)
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced that Flagler County Dispatcher McKenzie Davis has been selected as the 2020 Florida State Elks Associations Law Enforcement Support Employee of the Year. Davis began her career at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office...
How Austin has spent millions of ‘reimagined’ police funds so far (TX)
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Last August, Austin City Council voted to immediately cut $20 million from the police department budget and begin a year-long process of transitioning $130 million in services away from police oversight. The city council already took steps...
Archer Heights street renamed in honor of Chicago 911 dispatcher, wife who died from COVID (NY)
CHICAGO (WLS) — The Archer Heights community celebrated two of its own Saturday, honoring Guadalupe and Maria Lopez by renaming a street after the couple who both lost their battles to COVID-19 last year. “It feels good to feel a sense of community, just to have...
Police and dispatchers help wrong way driver during medical emergency who drove down train tracks (KS)
OLATHE, Kansas (KCTV) — Olathe police and Johnson County dispatchers had to act fast Friday morning to save a wrong way driver who drove down train tracks as two oncoming trains came toward him near Northgate and Woodland Street. Someone called 911 to report a driver...
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. ...
Lethbridge first responders donate bikes to kids in need (Canada)
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -- With travel restrictions and more people staying close to home as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on, interest in cycling is exploding and bikes continue to be some of the hottest items available for purchase. The Public Safety Communications Centre...
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...
Listen To We Speak Dispatch Podcast Online At PodParadise.com
We Speak Dispatch is a group of 911 professionals discussing topics from the headlines, topics that are fun and interesting, topics that you care about. Our engaging conversations are designed to inspire more conversations, so if you have a topic you’d like to see...
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.”
Dr. Jules Madrigal, Marble Falls police telecommunicators get their days (TX)
The Marble Falls City Council acknowledged the work of both Dr. Jules Madrigal and the Marble Falls Police Department Communication Division during its April 20 meeting. Mayor John Packer presented two proclamations: one designating April 20, 2021, as Dr. Jules...
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...
‘Every second could mean somebody’s life’: Non-emergency calls plague Guilford Metro 911 (NC)
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Dispatchers work around the clock answering the community’s calls for help, but some people are tying up the lines to 911 with calls that don’t qualify for emergencies. “It’s dangerous to play with 911,” said Paige Cummings, a senior supervisor for...
$9.6-million Lafayette Parish Emergency Communications Center: ‘one of the best in the south’ (LA)
Lafayette 911 has moved from the windowless basement at the courthouse to a $9.6-million facility designed for virtually any emergency. The Lafayette Parish Emergency Communications Center was built with 911 operators in mind. It was designed to allow for new...
California 9-1-1 dispatchers honor Salas as ‘Legislator of the Year’
SACRAMENTO — This week, the California Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (CALNENA) and over 8,000 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers across the state of California, presented Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) with its first ever Legislator of the...
‘Not a want but a need’: Two new emergency services facilities to be built in Clinton (NC)
CLINTON — Two emergency services facilities being built in Sampson County will replace a building that often floods during storms, county officials said. The new $18.4 million facilities being constructed on 9.5 acres of land will be the home for all the county's...
Dispatchers share experiences, reflections on work behind the phone during 911 calls (CA)
Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Lead Dispatcher Amanda Hart said the first responsibility of a dispatcher responding to an emergency call was to be professional and compassionate, even when facing danger, trauma or uncertainty. "Obviously, calls are going to affect us in...
Integration Will Let Dispatchers Livestream Body Cam Video
Axon, the biggest provider of body-worn cameras in the U.S., is integrating with the emergency data startup RapidSOS, giving more information to first responders as well as to 911 dispatchers. “Many agencies already rely on both Axon and RapidSOS to manage emergency...
21st Century meets 911 versatility (WI)
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PSBTA Releases Survey on First Responder Support for FirstNet Reauthorization
New Survey: First Responders Overwhelmingly Support Reauthorization of FirstNet
A new bipartisan national survey commissioned by the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association finds near- unanimous support among first responders for reauthorizing the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)– the agency overseeing America’s dedicated public safety broadband network.
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Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
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Podcast
FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz Spectrum
This episode dives into the critical evolution of public safety communications, focusing on the recent FCC decision to establish a nationwide Band Manager framework for the 4.9 GHz spectrum, and discuss the evolution and deployment of the FirstNet System. Host Chris Tubbs interviews Chief Jeff Johnson, a leader in public safety technology and the development of FirstNet. Together, they explore the history, governance, and transformative potential of FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz spectrum in enhancing public safety operations with emerging technologies like AI, 5G, and augmented reality. The discussion emphasizes the importance of protecting and optimizing public safety spectrum, the lessons learned from past advocacy efforts, and a call to action for public safety leaders to remain engaged in ensuring the spectrum’s effective use and governance.
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Accessing Federal Resources When an Emergency or Major Disaster Strikes
In light of the major disasters that our nation has recently experienced, PS Grants is offering this FREE webinar to review Disaster Assistance Programs and how to access them. Learn what federal funds and resources are available through Disaster Assistance, understand the process of requesting assistance, know what to expect before, during, and after, and find out who to contact for help.
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