PSAP Commentary

Without the right tools, a tough job gets tougher

When Kim Conway started her career as a dispatcher for the city of Cape Girardeau, Mo., she used a No. 2 pencil and index cards to record information, using a series of codes or shorthand, to identify an incident, such as a fight in progress. Now, a CAD system does most of the work, providing an interactive GUI that makes it easier for dispatchers to process and record data, such as a landline caller’s location.

Durham center takes a key step in 911 texting

It will be interesting to see if such guidelines are followed in the heat of an emergency, but the fact that texting is an option for Verizon customers in Durham is a credit to the carrier, PSAP and Intrado.

Invincibility takes many forms

Not many people who have walked this planet have had a movie made about them. Vince Papale is one of those people. If you have no idea who Papale is, then you should have been in Philadelphia this week, because he delivered the opening keynote address at the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials’ annual conference.

Today was a good day for the 911 sector

the most important of the steps that Genachowski outlined was the last one: the FCC will work to develop a NG-911 funding model. Hold on — I think I just felt the earth move.

Commentary

NENA’s i3 standard approval delay continues

Without more information, it’s difficult to assess the procedural complaints that have led to the i3 document’s approval being delayed. However, it is important that there is no doubt about the legitimacy of the i3 guidelines when they are adopted, so any due diligence that NENA can do upfront to ensure that happens should be welcomed by the industry.

CTIA panel: Many hurdles must be cleared to make NG-911 a reality

Next-generation 911 (NG-911) promises a robust, flexible platform that will allow public-safety answering points (PSAPs) to receive voice, video, text and data information from emergency callers, but several challenges remain before such systems can be deployed and implemented throughout the U.S., according to panelists at a CTIA Wireless session.

Tucson-shooting heroes found behind the scenes

Shayl McCormick compartmentalizes her emotions because she has to. Not doing so may put lives at stake if you work in a high-stress dispatch center. McCormick’s ability to put aside her emotions was particularly important during the Tucson shootings on Jan. 8 that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) near death and killed six others, including 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green.

NG-911 proceeding should not be forgotten

Most attention on the FCC today will be focused on the commission’s approval of an order that has come out of the controversial “net neutrality” debate. While such attention to such a high-profile issue is understandable, it clearly overshadowed another …

A good PR campaign starts at home

I suggested yesterday that the 911 sector needs to help itself, by starting a grassroots public-relations campaign. Just about the only time the mainstream media covers the 911 sector is when something goes wrong. Undeniably, such events occur. But they represent the tip of the iceberg. Lurking beneath the surface are hundreds, likely thousands, of stories concerning 911 telecommunicators who went to extraordinary lengths while handling an emergency call. These are the stories that need to be told.

A little recognition goes a long way

Barry Ritter of the Wayne County (Ind.) Emergency Communications Department received the 2010 PSAPs’ Finest Director of the Year award. As director, Ritter convinced nine rural counties across southeastern Indiana to pursue an IP-based platform for wire-line and wireless 911 calls.

Without the right tools, a tough job gets tougher

Durham center takes a key step in 911 texting

Invincibility takes many forms

Today was a good day for the 911 sector

Commentary

NENA’s i3 standard approval delay continues

CTIA panel: Many hurdles must be cleared to make NG-911 a reality

Tucson-shooting heroes found behind the scenes

NG-911 proceeding should not be forgotten

A good PR campaign starts at home

A little recognition goes a long way

Commentary

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