Industry
Causing a Hang-Up Is a Crime
January 19, 2011Oklahoma City — Hanging up on 9-1-1 operators is a crime in Oklahoma, and so is interfering with someone else’s efforts to make an emergency call. It’s a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $4,000 and a year in jail.
Read full articleAPCO Applauds Pima County Sheriff’s Communications
January 18, 2011Daytona Beach, Fla. — The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International applauds actions taken by the Pima County, Arizona Sheriff’s Communications team in handling of the emergency calls surrounding the incident in Tucson on January 8, 2011where Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others were attacked by a gunman.
Read full articleDakota County 9-1-1 Dispatchers Have Helped Deliver Seven Babies in the Past Year
January 18, 2011Minneapolis — As an emergency dispatcher for more than 25 years, Diane Lind of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office never had to help deliver a baby by phone. But, as the supervisor of the Dakota County Communications Center, Lind has experienced a population explosion of baby delivery assistance calls made by her dispatchers.
Read full articleVallejo, Benicia Won’t Combine 9-1-1 Dispatchers
January 18, 2011Vallejo, Calif. — Vallejo and Benicia public safety departments have decided against consolidating their dispatch centers, officials said. The plan would have resulted in a six-fold increase in the volume of fire calls routed to Benicia dispatchers, Benicia police officials said in August. Benicia gets about 2,000 calls annually; Vallejo, 12,000.
Read full articleFederal Communications Commission Releases Agenda for Jan. 26 Narrowbanding Workshop
January 18, 2011The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) today released the agenda for a workshop on VHF/UHF narrowbanding to assist licensees in completing the transition to narrowband radio communications by January 1, 2013. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305).
Read full articleAMBER Alert Program Expands to Facebook
January 14, 2011Effective Jan. 12, Facebook users are able to sign up to receive AMBER Alert bulletins for their state which will be sent to them through the Facebook “News Feed” feature. A total of 53 new AMBER Alert Pages have been created, one for each state, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. Facebook users will also be able to share the AMBER Alerts with their friends.
Read full articleAm I Ready for the Big One?
January 14, 2011In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about readiness in the comm center. We have backup phone systems, backup generators, even backup comm centers. What about backup telecommunicators? I wanted to know, “What about me?” What if I were the one working (stuck) in the comm center when something big happens? Is there anything out there to prepare me? I did some research on communications preparedness, and I’d like to share my findings with other telecommunicators.
Read full articleFCC News: Framework for Next Generation 9-1-1 Deployment
January 13, 2011The Notice of Inquiry initiates a comprehensive proceeding to address how Next Generation 911 (NG9-1-1) can enable the public to obtain emergency assistance by means of advanced communications technologies beyond traditional voice-centric devices.
Read full articleObama Speaks at Memorial for Arizona Shooting Victims
January 13, 2011Tucson, Ariz. — Summoning the soul of a nation, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becoming better people, telling a polarized citizenry that it is time to talk with each other “in a way that heals, not in a way wounds.”
Read full articleCommunity Grieves After Shocking Shooting Rampage
January 13, 2011Phoenix — A U.S. congresswoman shot in the head is able to breathe on her own, doctors said Tuesday, as the Arizona community rocked by the shooting that killed six people planned memorial services, including one where President Barack Obama planned to speak.
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