"Profiles"
Mark Brady Makes His Mark as PIO
April 7, 2011Throughout his 33 years with his agency, Mark Brady, public relations manager and public information officer for the Prince George’s County (Md.) Fire/EMS, has served his community well — as fire dispatcher for 17 years and now as the liaison between the department and the public.
Read full articleLife Inside Aurora’s (Colo.) 9-1-1 Call Center
April 7, 2011Aurora, Colo. — Clayton Velarde might never see the people on the other end of the line, or know what happens to them when the call ends. But every day, he bears the responsibility of helping the strangers that dial 9-1-1.
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.
Read full articleEllen Pittman
March 3, 2011There’s no doubt Ellen Pittman, an assistant supervisor for the Department of Public Safety Communications in Fairfax County, Va., is a go-getter. This military veteran has quickly moved up the department’s ranks to serve as a manager, as well as a training instructor, while maintaining a positive attitude.
Read full articleEmergency Calls in Finland
February 24, 2011As follow-up to discussing the complicated system of eight emergency numbers in Austria, as well as providing an overview of the 112 emergency number used in Europe, I will focus on another European Union (EU) country: Finland. Finland is famous for being home to a company that started by producing rubber boots and car tires and is today a leader in cell phone production, and for its use of the Finnish sauna. Almost every business building in the country has a wooden sauna cabin adjacent to a meeting room(s), allowing executives to continue a business meeting at a dry heat temperature of approximately 90° C (190° F).
Read full articleFor 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 articleModel for Media Relationships
January 6, 2011Ramon Korionoff is communications director for the Prince George’s County (Md.) State’s Attorney’s Office and maintains an open relationship with the media for the benefit of justice. He says, “Prosecutors are sometimes the sole voice for victims, and I’m able to bring that message into the public forum.”
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