Industry
For the Love of the Job
February 16, 2011Donald Winsock was exposed to the public safety industry at a young age, spending a lot of time at Firehouse #5 in Hanover Township, Pa. His experiences serving as a firefighter and EMT, and, eventually, a 9-1-1 telecommunicator laid the foundation for a successful career. He’s currently emergency communications supervisor for Arlington County (Va.) Comm Center.
Read full articleRamsey County Rolls Out New 9-1-1 Form
February 15, 2011Minneapolis — Ramsey County is rolling out a new program aimed at improving emergency services to its mentally and physically disabled residents: a form with medical information that will be relayed to first-responders before they arrive at a 911 call.
Read full articleNeed Help? Call 211
February 15, 2011San Mateo County, Calif. — Sometimes the search for food, shelter and other basic necessities can end in frustration. Navigating the myriad of telephone numbers, automated directories, search engines and social service agencies can be confusing when you need help the most. But now there is a place to turn to in San Mateo County that can help.
Read full articleArea’s Quilt of Districts Hampered Communications for Jan. 8 Response
February 15, 2011Tucson, Ariz. — The nearest fire engine with medical responders never was called to the scene of the Jan. 8 mass shootings at Ina and Oracle roads. The reason: It was a Rural/Metro firetruck, but the shootings occurred just across the street from its jurisdiction in Northwest Fire District territory.
Read full articlePima Works on Comm System to Cross Boundaries
February 15, 2011Tucson, Ariz. — For almost a decade now Pima County has been working to implement a $104 million Regional Emergency Communications Program that would let every police officer, sheriff’s deputy and firefighter in the county talk to one another.
Read full articleState Wants to Block Cell Phones in Prisons
February 15, 2011Sacramento, Calif. — California prison officials seized nearly 11,000 cell phones last year, some used to arrange extortions and assaults, others used by the likes of cult killer Charles Manson to connect with the outside world after more than four decades behind bars.
Read full articleLoudon 9-1-1 Trains to Find Kids
February 11, 2011Loudon, Tenn. — For three hours, a Loudon couple could not locate their 10-year-old son. He had disappeared from their home. So they frantically dialed 9-1-1.
Read full articleRPI Fire Dispatch Criticized
February 11, 2011Troy, N.Y. — Firefighters said an RPI dispatcher gave them the wrong address to fight an on-campus arson Tuesday night, delaying their response by 30 minutes.
Read full articleViews from the West
February 11, 2011Approximately 600 public safety communications professionals from across the Western Region of the U.S. — representing every state — gathered in Ontario, Calif., this week for the 2011 APCO International Western States Regional Conference.
Read full articleOEC Hires Region IV Regional Coordinator
February 11, 2011The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) has a new Regional Coordinator (RC), John MacLean. John will represent Region IV (FL,…
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