Industry
The Guilt Factor
March 17, 2011Although communications technologies that help people stay connected to the workplace are often seen as a way to balance work and family life, a new study in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior suggests there may be a downside to using these technologies for workers’ health—and these effects seem to differ for women and men.
Read full articleAPCO International Featured on Dr. Oz 9-1-1 Segment
March 17, 2011Daytona Beach, Fla. — Public safety communications association, APCO International, provided information for a segment on The Dr. Oz Show, “The Three Biggest Mistakes you Should Never Make When Calling 9-1-1.” The episode aired March 11, 2011 around the country. APCO International’s Board of Directors Representative, Gigi Smith, shared her expertise.
Read full articleBaby Delivery in Watsonville, Calif., Guided by 9-1-1 Dispatcher
March 17, 2011Santa Cruz, Calif. — Edgar Sandoval was frantic. His wife, Mirtha Padilla, was going into labor with their second child at their home on Cirvelo Street in Watsonville – but there wasn’t enough time to get to Sutter Hospital in Santa Cruz where she was due to deliver.
Read full articleSecurity in Mall Alerted 9-1-1 to False Rifle Incident
March 17, 2011Roanoke, Va. — Both 9-1-1 calls reporting a man with a rifle at Valley View Mall in Roanoke were from security officers at the retail complex — one relaying a secondhand report, the other watching a 40-minute-old surveillance video, according to emergency call recordings.
Read full articleChico Dispatchers Out of “the Bunker,” into the Light
March 17, 2011Chico, Calif. — Police said they met their deadline this week to complete a $175,000 relocation of their emergency 9-1-1 dispatch center to a former police station classroom. The new setting offers about twice as much space and natural lighting from windows big advantages over the former dispatch center, a dark, cramped space in the middle of the building on Humboldt Road that some referred to as “the bunker.”
Read full articleDyersville, Iowa, to Dump Dispatchers
March 17, 2011Dyersville, Iowa — Like the popular 1970s television series “Adam-12,” police dispatchers appear destined to become a thing of the past in Dyersville, where the City Council approved on a 3-2 vote Monday the proposed 2011-12 fiscal year budget, which includes pulling the plug on seven dispatchers serving as go-betweens for citizens and police.
Read full articleEmergency Access Advisory Committee Releases National Survey to Learn About Emergency Calling by Individuals with Disabilities
March 17, 2011The FCC launched an online national survey of individuals with disabilities to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable their access to emergency services. The results of the survey will inform the Advisory Committee as it develops recommendations to implement such technologies and methods in a Next Generation 9-1-1 system that will be capable of receiving emergency calls via video, text and voice.
Read full articleMan Pleads Guilty to Making Obscene Calls to 9-1-1 Dispatchers
March 14, 2011Orange County, Calif. — A man who authorities say made thousands of obscene calls to female 911 dispatchers was sentenced Friday to 21 days in jail and three years’ probation, court records show.
Read full articleNo Cash Settlement for Police Officer who Crashed while Responding to False 9-1-1 Call
March 14, 2011On the afternoon of Feb. 7, 2008, the defendant dialed 9-1-1 and falsely reported being stabbed during an ongoing home invasion. Local police were dispatched. The plaintiff, the first local police officer dispatched to the scene, lost control of his vehicle on an icy road, skidded and struck a tree. He was trapped in the vehicle and had to be removed with the Jaws of Life. He ultimately was diagnosed with a concussion and soft-tissue knee and shoulder injuries.
Read full articleOfficer Down
March 10, 2011As a dispatcher, the first signal you learn — 10-24 — is also the last one you ever want to use: officer down/officer needs assistance. Veteran dispatcher Cindra Dunaway discusses her 2003 experience on night shift, when this signal came over the radio channel and how the incident and police officer personally affected every telecommunicator and officer at the station.
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