Top Comm Center Headlines
News & Articles
RCSO Dispatcher of the Year: Jenny Mathias (TN)
(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...
Divided City Council moves ahead with limiting emergency calls (NY)
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...
Cates named Dispatcher of the Year (CA)
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...
Will County dispatchers complain of safety concerns at 911 center (IL)
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...
Brookline police, fire departments celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (MA)
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...
9-1-1 Dispatch: Angels in Disguise (FL)
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,...
On the Front Line: Dispatcher hears those in need, helps them get help (WA)
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 sees an increase of 911 calls from children during stay-at-home order (FL)
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 County 911 dispatchers talk multitasking, ‘intense’ calls and pandemic (KY)
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 --...
DPS discontinuing mobile AMBER Alert notifications after early-morning glitch (UT)
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...
Utility outage in the Criders and Bergton areas (VA)
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...
Podcast: Emergency Management Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
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...
Webinar on HR & Wellness Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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.
Local 911 dispatchers act as ‘voice in the dark’ for those frightened by pandemic (KY)
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...
Indiana State Police Bloomington Post Celebrates Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (IN)
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...
Pitkin County 911: From troubled to best in state (CO)
Four years ago, the situation at Pitkin County’s 911 emergency dispatch center was on the brink of disaster. Chronic problems at the critical agency, including understaffing, low morale, low pay and employee wellness issues, coupled with an inability to find a...
Dispatchers discuss work-life during COVID pandemic (HI)
Honolulu dispatchers have been working hard to ensure that first responders and the public remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the next time you call 9-1-1, be prepared to answer a few COVID-19 related questions. “We know it’s a life-threatening...
Sheriff’s Office recognizes Communications Bureau during national telecommunicators week (NY)
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office recognized its telecommunicators – 911 dispatchers and other public safety communicators – this week. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week was April 12 to 18. The week recognizes the work of dispatchers and public safety...
Allegany County’s 911 dispatchers receive recognition (MD)
CUMBERLAND — As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues globally, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services is taking time to honor the communication specialists of the county’s Joint Communications Center for National Public Safety Telecommunicators...
Upper Missouri Regional Dispatch Center celebrates National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (MO)
The Upper Missouri River Regional Dispatch Center celebrated the week of April 12 through 18 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International and celebrated annually,...
SURVEY
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.
PETITIONS
Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
PSBTA UPDATES
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.
LISTEN TO PODCAST
GRANTS
Webinar
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.
REGISTER
Subscribe to Comm Center News
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
PARTNERS
Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates
Share Your Story
Join our community to share your experience and connect and collaborate with colleagues.
Join Our Newsletter
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.



