911 and Dispatch
From hazard mapping to resource deployment, AI is changing the way agencies prepare for major incidents
Thousands of convenience stores across the U.S. will offer free coffee, drinks or snacks to uniformed first responders on July 24 as part of the 2025 24/7 Day
Next-gen technology that keeps public safety connected to mission-critical tools
Officials said all four fabricated calls prompted a “heavy response” from fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel
Officials are investigating whether incorrect data in the county’s GIS mapping system slowed down the arrival of first responders
The county’s 911 coordinator said the “questionable” reliability of the current system “is a safety risk to our responders”
Fire and police leaders met with dispatch center officials and questioned a recent notice that services would be reduced due to staffing
Progress in 2020 expected for bills still in committee
Federal regulators are setting up the suicide prevention hotline, which will be reachable by dialing 988
LifeCare Alliance receives referrals from fire departments and healthcare providers to assist frequent 911 callers with basic needs
One fire chief said the new system gives wrong directions for about one call per month
The program connects frequent 911 callers with social workers to address unmet needs and prevent repeat calls
The city’s mayor said options include opting out of EMS services or cutting other services unless changes to funding or the county EMS system are made
Students will get hands-on career development experience while providing support to first responders
About 40 residences were evacuated following a 911 call about radiation exposure, but emergency teams found no hazard
Wait times for 911 callers reduced by three-fourths after the city combined its police and fire-EMS communication centers and upgraded technology
The county is inviting residents to sign up and provide information that would be useful to first responders in an emergency
Officials say they are seeing more emergency calls in Spanish and Burmese, and that translation services can interpret up to 150 different languages
“We don’t have an option of operating below a certain level ... we must fill the seat. Our overtime has exploded,” Scott Campbell, director of public safety, said
A consultant recommended strategic planning and hiring more staff to reduce mandatory overtime and improve morale
Police say the 38-year-old Bronx woman averaged 100 false alarms per day that emergency personnel were forced to respond to
The service was expected to launch in early 2018, and delays have put deaf and disabled residents in danger, advocates say
Ira Younger called for help after his grandmother passed out and hit her head on the kitchen floor while making him a snack
Rising volumes of false fire, medical and burglary alarms have prompted Columbus fire and police administrators to propose stiffer penalties for repeat offenses
“Due to staffing,” only two of four dispatched units initially responded to retrieve a UNI worker they understood to be inside the campus’ compromised steam system
Officials say 911 responses have not been affected, but the attack has changed the way dispatchers perform their work
The tapes depict stranded riders crying, pleading for help for people with health conditions and in one case a man who had passed out, all when the gondolas broke down Oct. 5
North Dakota received more than $1.47 million in funds to fund the next phase of upgrades to the state’s 22 911 call centers
A woman who witnessed the incident said there was approximately eight to 10 people gathered on each deck when the collapse occurred
The lawsuits accuse the county of failing to properly train dispatchers, not warning officers that errors happened and not ensuring the 911 mapping system was accurate
There is an increasingly pressing need for PSAPs to be able to translate text-to-911 messages sent in languages other than English
Since the county went from four 911 centers to one, costs have increased, staff have unionized and technology is blamed for dispatch delays
Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel’s efforts to align how fire and EMS responses are measured includes “pot of meat” fires, dispatch time
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