GRATIOT COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – Gratiot County Central Dispatch is using a new tool to help locate 911 callers faster and easier.The county is adopting the what3words system to find people who may not know their exact location when the call 911 for help. The international system has divided all of the Earth’s surface into 10-foot squares and assigned each a combination of three words for an address.For example, “resurgent.aimless.wishful” is the entrance to Alma City Hall and the Department of Public Safety.The free app on Apple and Android devices does not require cellular data to operate. It uses GPS signals to pinpoint location, including in remote areas and lakes that may not have adequate cellular service, to determine the three-word address. Callers can text or call 911 to provide the three words, which emergency dispatchers can use to determine the location and direct emergency responders. Dispatchers can send a link to callers who don’t have the app installed on their cell phone, which will provide three words for their location.The what3words system was developed in the United Kingdom and South Africa in 2019 and expanded to Australia and Canada last year. It has helped emergency crews find thousands of people after crashes in rural areas, flood victims, kidnapping victims and bicyclists or hikers stranded in remote areas.“Being able to use what3words is going to make a huge difference, especially in life-threatening situations,” said Dan Morden, director of Gratiot County Central Disptach. “It means we can save precious time responding to emergencies and help callers much more easily.” Outside of emergency applications, the public can use what3words to find meeting locations with friends at crowded parks, beaches and shopping malls. Runners, hikers and hotels also are using the system to navigate without writing complicated directions.Copyright 2021 WJRT. All rights reserved.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A text to 911 is handled a lot like a 911 emergency call, said Tony Mangan of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

Mangan, the communications director for the DPS, said “9-1-1 texts will route based upon geographic location and pre-established boundaries, similar to how voice calls to 9-1-1 are routed.”

“All 911 centers throughout the state have the software or equipment to handle 911 texts,” Mangan said. “Text web portals have been made available for those Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) who were not part of the statewide hosted call handling equipment that provides text functionality.”

Mangan said, “The state pays for 100% of the dispatch center expenses for text to 911 services.”

The state launched the text to 911 service today. South Dakota will join several other states, including Minnesota and North Dakota, with text to 911 service.

“In other states, trends have been showing that 1% or less of all 911 calls received are texts,” Mangan said.

In South Dakota there were 269,253 wireless 911 calls delivered to PSAPs in 2019, according to the National 911 Progress Report from 2019 data.

In Iowa, there were 929,331 wireless 911 calls delivered to PSAPS. That’s compared to 3,337 texts to 911 in 2019.

In Minnesota, there were 2,441,933 wireless 911 calls delivered to PSAPS. That’s compared to 3,622 texts to 911.

According to the federal 911 study, there were 145,102,640 wireless 911 calls in 38 states. There were 581,151 texts to 911.

Although the texts to 911 calls are small percentage of all 911 calls including wireless and landline, the number is growing, according to the 2019 911 report.

In 2018, 33 states reported 188,646 text to 911 messages, according to the report. The number of 911 texts was 102,163 in 2016, 34,700 in 2015 and 1,121 in 2014, according to governmenttechnology.com.

The number of texts and total calls from 2014 to 2016 and in 2018 depends on the number of states reporting the data. For example, the total number of cellular calls based on 34 reporting states was 144,906,328 in 2015. And 25 states reported text to 911 data with a total of 34,700, according to the 2016 National 911 Progress report.

DPS officials said calling 911 with the cell phone is overall better than texting 911 but the new option is another tool for the public. The S.D. DPS said text to 911 can be helpful in a situation where calling may be too dangerous. Also, for the deaf and hard of hearing the text to 911 option could be valuable, the DPS said.

Mangan said there are also instances when a text to 911 can reach a PSAP when a 911 call can’t.

For example, during a storm cell phone pathways could be jammed but often, a text can get transmitted, according to governmenttechnology.com.

Emergency personnel have been able to locate a caller’s location through the cell phone. Mangan said a similar locate could be done through a text to 911.

“As long as the wireless carrier provides the location information to be delivered with the text, it is generally possible to locate the caller,” he said. “The challenge for exact location would be if the person texting was in a multi-floor, multi-room building.  Callers are advised to provide location information in the event it does not automatically appear.”

Lewis County now has an Office of Emergency Management/E-911 director. James Gum accepted the position, and Keith Talbert has accepted the position of assistant director. The position of director had been vacant since the passing of William Rowan in 2020. Rowan had been director since 1984.Gum was hired in 1992 as a telecommunicator and recalled one of his first experiences: moving into the building that houses emergency management and Lewis County dispatch.“I hauled the initial load of equipment in here,” he said, adding he became a full time telecommunicator in 1993, and was appointed to Operations of the E-911 Center and the Office of Emergency Management in 2006. He, like Rowan, is also a volunteer firefighter, serving with the Weston Volunteer Fire Department since January 1991.

Talbert has also been involved with public service most of his life. His father was a West Virginia state trooper, which brought early exposure to the “emergency services” lifestyle to Talbert at a young age. As an adult, he has committed over 15 years of service through all divisions of emergency services: police, fire, EMS, and 911 dispatcher.“I became a volunteer firefighter in 2006 and currently hold the rank of deputy chief of the Weston Volunteer Fire Department. I have also served the City of Weston as a paid fireman since 2011. I have been a reserve deputy for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office since 2009, worked as a dispatcher for over a year (’06-’07), and I’m involved in many extracurricular professional and volunteer organizations, including holding the position of president of the Lewis County Firefighters Association. I feel being “well-rounded” puts me at an advantage of achieving success,” Talbert said.Talbert and Gum are aware that updates and improvements need to be made to provide better services to the community, but also to all first responders. Talbert believes that approaching this can be done through communication, change, and involvement.“I believe communication is key to successful relationships both personally and professionally. Having adequate communication builds trust between first responders, my staff, and the community. It is imperative to maintaining a successful and professional operation,” Talbert said, acknowledging that change can be hard sometimes, and that has not happened at the E-911 Center in a long time.“As I take the position of Assistant Director, it’s my duty to provide the best service to our residents. In doing so, some of the major changes that are on the list include finalizing the purchase of a new CAD system and other computerized equipment, updating Standard Operating Procedures for better customer service, and providing additional forms of emergency alert notification systems- just to name a few,” he said, adding that professional use of Social Media is also large platform for getting information out to mass amounts of people.Gum agrees, saying that his goal is to work with all agencies to make the best decisions for them and the community they serve.

“I’ll answer questions, and address complaints, and fix the issues,” Gum said.Involvement is important, and both understand the need for outreach, as they are well aware that first responders are called upon in the worst circumstances.“Plain and simple, I want the community to know what OEM stands for. Being more involved in community outreach events, fire prevention in schools, and establishing our own outreach programs are just a few ways we can accomplish this task,” Talbert said.Technology is something that will also be addressed, and Gum and Talbert are in agreement.“It is time to do some upgrades,” Gum said. Lewis Commissioners are also supportive of this.Commissioner Agnes Queen said that they also recognize the need for equipment upgrades, and will work with Gum and Talbert to make that a reality.The application process was as anonymous as possible, with five people conducting interviews. Those five were made up of Queen, Lewis Commission President Rod Wyman, Lewis Commissioner Bobby Stewart, III, a Gilmer County commissioner, and a Randolph County commissioner.Each candidate answered 10 questions, which were the same across the board, and each answer was voted on on a scale of one to 10. Queen said a CPA tabulated the scores, with the highest scores going to Gum and Talbert, in that order.“We wanted to make sure we made it fair,” Queen said, adding that candidates did not see each other prior to or after interviewing.

Tetra |
2021-03-20

The company announced that it’s repeaters are now officially approved for use on the BOS (public safey) radio network network in Austria. 

From now on, the complete portfolio of SEE telecom, existing of both Off-air and Optical repeaters is offered to enhance radio coverage inside all types of confined infrastructures in Austria. The portfolio includes repeaters with a variety of redundancy, alarm and remote maintenance options, various performance classes, dimensions, and design.
The Austrian public safety sector is strictly regulated by TETRON Sicherheitsnetz Errichtungs- und Betriebs GesmbH, which is responsible for the creation of the digital authoritative radio network BOS-Austria.
For safety reasons, only devices certified by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and TETRON are allowed to be installed in Austria.

MONTPELIER — Preliminary results from an ongoing study commissioned by the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority suggest the simulcast system proposed by an established network of area fire departments would significantly improve emergency communications throughout the region.Though computer modeled “coverage maps” shared with members of the CVPSA Board during its virtual meeting Thursday night were described as “very preliminary,” they should be encouraging — if not surprising — to the fire departments that comprise the Capital Fire Mutual Aid System.On a night that ended with Fred Cummings offering a candid critique of the board, Montpelier’s departing dispatch supervisor suggested the “coverage maps” presented for their review told only half of what has the makings of a very good story.

According to Cummings, the rest of the story can be found in the current coverage maps — the ones that highlight the shortcomings of aging communications infrastructure badly in need of an upgrade.“When you put them (the maps) side by side, you’re going to see the dramatic differences,” he predicted.The maps reflect the mutual aid system’s proposal to add three new transmitters — one on Beacon Hill in Chelsea, another on Lincoln Peak in Warren and a third on Hill Street in Montpelier — while upgrading several others.The plan is designed to improve emergency communications across the region and address several problem areas.Cummings, who tendered his two-week notice Tuesday and has accepted a similar job at a larger dispatch center in Minnesota, said the preliminary maps prepared by Televate LLC appear to back those plans.“It’s solving probably 98% of the coverage areas that have been identified (as problems),” he said, suggesting the draft maps reflect a “huge improvement” over current conditions.Among other things, Cummings said, plans for the Beacon Hill transmitter would resolve long-standing problems in Washington and portions of Williamstown and potential to offer dispatch services to the Chelsea Volunteer Fire Department and the First Branch Ambulance Service.Joe Aldsworth, deputy fire chief in Barre, said the maps were cause for cautious optimism.“It’s encouraging,” he said, suggesting a side-by-side town-by-town comparison would be useful for the mutual aid system.Members of the mutual aid system tabled action Wednesday on a proposal they withdraw from their dues-free membership in the public safety authority created by votes in Barre and Montpelier in 2014 and recently commissioned the study to evaluate the region’s emergency communications infrastructure.Francis “Paco” Aumand, the authority’s former executive director, who was retained on a consulting basis earlier this year to manage the Televate contract, said the early returns didn’t raise any red flags with respect to the upgrades contemplated by the mutual aid system.“It does appear there is a strong radio mobile coverage within the area they have identified as the service area,” he said, noting the maps are subject to revision, a final report isn’t due until June 2 and Televate isn’t yet prepared to make any recommendations.Notwithstanding those caveats, Aumand said he interpreted the preliminary maps the same way Cummings and Aldsworth did.“That’s pretty good coverage,” he said.Though the maps seem to suggest otherwise, Aumand stressed they should not be read to mean a key concern raised by fire departments in Barre and Montpelier would be resolved by the proposed upgrades.

“This does not mean there is in-building radio coverage,” he said, suggesting that was an unresolved issue.According to Aumand, Televate has met with some stakeholders — Aldsworth and Todd Goad, of Burlington Communications, among them — and is scheduling meetings with others, including Cummings, as part a study that will include an online stakeholder survey that will be rolled out in coming weeks.Aumand’s report highlighted a meeting during which the board approved $2,550 in training funds for three Montpelier dispatchers to take the “Women in Leadership” training offered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.Montpelier Police Chief Brian Peete said the training request was part of a succession planning process aimed at increasing diversity in leadership and was spurred, in part, by Cummings’ announcement he will be leaving.As the meeting was coming to a close, board member Dona Bate said she hoped to replace Chairman Kim Cheney during next month’s organizational meeting, and Cheney said he isn’t ready to step aside.As Cheney mused about the board’s past struggles and suggested it might be on the verge of a “breakthrough,” Cummings offered some “parting words of wisdom,” as well as a blunt critique.“You have to pick one thing, and you have to do it well in order to get legitimacy and trust from the people you want to serve,” he said, adding: “The biggest thing that you lack right now … based on comments that I’ve heard … is there’s no trust in your board.”Cummings said “trust” and “legitimacy” need to be earned, partnerships need to be nurtured and ideas — even good ideas — take time. The board, he said, needs to “focus” and finish, stop swinging at every pitch, and emulate — not alienate — potential partners like the Capital Fire Mutual Aid System.“That’s an organization that you should strive to be like,” he said. “They’ve made a radio system work against all the odds … and they’re ready to move forward with something that will blow the doors off what they have now.”Cummings said he is confident Televate will validate that prediction when it issues its report, crediting the board for hiring the firm to conduct the analysis.“The first great thing you did is agree to do this study,” he said, predicting it will make the case for a simulcast system and underscore the need for redundancy in emergency communications.Also, Cummings said it will likely recommend a regional emergency communications center — an idea an earlier version of the board had a hard time selling to officials in Barre and Montpelier.Cummings acknowledged that might never change, but, he said, it definitely won’t if the authority can’t string together some successes and prove its worth.The good news?Cummings said he thinks it can.“I believe enough in this to believe that it can work,” he said.david.delcore @timesargus.com

NEWARK – Licking County announced its launch of a service allowing the Licking County Regional Communication Center to receive emergency information via text messages.According to Nathan Bryan, Licking County Regional Communication Center Operations Manager, discussions about adding Text-to-911 as a service in Licking County began in August. A grant covered a portion of the start-up cost, he said, which covered the purchase of routers needed to ensure texts come through from the caller.In a press release, Licking County EMA said Text-to-911 should only be used in an emergency situation when placing a call isn’t possible. They suggested examples of if the caller is deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired, or when a caller talking out loud could put them in danger.Bryan explained typically their agency has anywhere from two to four dispatchers on call to answer 911 calls. He said each will also be responsible for answering Text-to-911, and that all staff members between the 911 center and sheriff’s office have been trained and are able to process the messages.When a dispatcher is actively engaged in a Text-to-911 message, Bryan said they will not answer a voice 911 call.Already, Bryan said their agency has received several Text-to-911 messages, including a domestic incident and a suspicious person outside a window.Through the new program, Licking County EMA Director Sean Grady said it will enable their emergency services to serve the community in situations where the caller can’t speak or there may be additional dangers if they speak.”I think it shows a willingness for Licking County to really look at the future and how to best help our residents by implementing technology like this, whereas we know it’s not a program available in all of Ohio,” Licking County EMA spokeswoman Olivia Biggs said. “It shows our willingness to be on the front edge of that.”According to Bryan, the program has been implemented in areas such as Franklin County, Reynoldsburg, and Delaware.Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp described the program as another tool in the toolbox to make Licking County as safer community.According to the press release the Text-to-911 service may come with challenges, including requiring a text or data plan to place a Text-to-911, the fact messages to 911 may take longer to receive, may arrive out of order or may not be received at all, photos and videos cannot be sent to 911, and the text to 911 cannot include more than one person.Licking County EMA encouraged those making a text message to 911 to include the location and type of emergency in their first message, text in simple words without abbreviations or slang, be prepared to answer questions from the dispatcher, and not to text and drive.The agency said voice calls to 911 are still the best and fastest way to contact the agency and should be made during an emergency whenever possible.For a guide on how to use Text-to-911 correctly, visit the Federal Communications Commission website.

WALLINGFORD — It was about 1 a.m. at the Police Department dispatch center some three years ago and Jennifer Nastri was feeling impish.Her boss, Capt. Richard Homestead, announced to the officers and dispatchers arrayed around the room that he was about to go on break, and did anybody want anything from Dunkin’? “I want a goldfish,” Nastri said.Some nights, midnight shift is a barrage of calls for service that police and dispatchers scramble to keep up with. This was not one of those nights.“OK, Nastri wants a goldfish,” Homestead replied. “Does anybody else need anything?”About 20 minutes later, Homestead pulled out of his Dunkin’ bag two small goldfish swimming in plastic bags. He had stopped at Walmart — “the one place where you can get absolutely everything at 1 o’clock in the morning,” he exclaimed — and fetched two carassius auratus with the help of a very surprised store clerk.Nastri named them Sushi and Wally and took them home.“Wally didn’t make it, but Sushi lasted awhile,“ Homestead recalled.This kind of low-key, amiable fun is one of the reasons Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr., Police Chief William Wright and about 50 firefighters, police and town workers gathered in the training classroom at the police station on Friday to honor and say goodbye to the man they nicknamed “Homie.”Homestead’s last day at work was Friday. He is retiring after 24 years to become a sergeant with the Central Connecticut State University Campus Police, he said.“I just felt it was time,” Homestead, 54, said.Homestead’s sometimes paternal, sometimes fun but always businesslike approach to the job, his innate steadiness, optimism and simple desire to be of service to others made the party almost mandatory, said Wright, who encouraged Homestead to use his personality to build camaraderie in the department.“He is an absolutely stellar person, family man and co-worker,” Wright said, “diligent in everything he did.”Hired in Wallingford in 1997, Homestead served as a patrolman, sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant and finally captain in 2017. Working as an in-house training instructor, he taught firearms, use of force and was a member of the department’s Emergency Services Unit and commanded the Emergency Response Team. Homestead also served in the US Army Reserves for 23 years with three active-duty deployments, Wright said.“He has an innate way of seeing through complex problems that involve people,” Wright said. “His first thought was always, do no harm. It was always, ‘Let’s see what we can do to not deploy any tactical [force].”His kindness was apparent to Officer JM D’Addio when D’Addio was transferred from the community policing unit to become a training officer, department quartermaster and building maintenance supervisor in October 2016. “You have to deal with all of these vendors and track everybody’s training and recertifications,” D’Addio said. “I was overwhelmed with all of these new jobs.”D’Addio came to work one day to find that Homestead had taken over all dispatch center matters, a huge load off of D’Addio and markedly different from what most other supervisors at Homestead’s level would typically do.“That’s when I knew he would always look out for me and be someone I could always look to and trust,” D’Addio said.Homestead will miss Wallingford, he said.“What has made this career rewarding is the people that I have worked for, the community, but especially the people I have worked with.”nsambides@record-journal.com

MALONE — A dispatcher from Franklin County Emergency Services at Bare Hill Road was recently recognized for his work from the dispatch center during a medical call in Fort Covington, and was presented with a lifesaver pin.Emergency 911 dispatcher Chandler Shatraw was recognized for his efforts in walking a caller through CPR, helping the caller assist the patient before EMS arrived.According to Sandi Nichols, a senior communications specialist, the medical call took place at 4:26 p.m. Jan. 28 in Fort Covington. Shatraw received a call from an individual whose brother had collapsed on the floor and was not conscious.“Chandler performed an assessment to determine the patient’s breathing status, and determined that the patient was in cardiac arrest,” Nichols said. “After his assessment, he began providing the caller with instructions to perform chest compressions, high-quality chest compressions from CPR and it appears from what I was listening to on the recording that they maintained those compressions for approximately five minutes prior to the arrival of the EMS squad.”The patient was later reported to be alive and conscious upon arrival at the hospital, according to Nichols.“We do want to acknowledge Chandler’s efforts,” Nichols said. “For five minutes he gave them very good instructions, counted out loud with her as she did compressions.”Franklin County Fire Coordinator Ricky Provost said the lifesaver pin is something a dispatcher can wear on his uniform.“It’s a very small pin but it is a very huge award,” Nichols said. “It doesn’t happen often.”According to Provost, Nichols received the same award, 10 to 12 years ago, for her work during a medical call in Tupper Lake.Provost said during that call Nichols helped a grandchild successfully perform CPR on a grandparent.“Those are some of the positive things that dispatchers do that they don’t always get recognized for,” Provost said.
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