Monday, April 29, 2024
911 and 311 in the News
South Sound 911 program brings counselors into emergency dispatchers
Conor Wilson / Kitsap Sun
April 29, 2024
As the largest 911 call center in Washington, serving 38 police and fire agencies in Pierce County, South Sound 911 has seen a growing number of the nearly one million annual calls they receive involve someone experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.
Prince George’s County Council proposes 911 registry for people with special needs
Audrey Keefe / The Diamondback
April 29, 2024
The Prince George’s County Council is discussing a bill that aims to promote safe interactions between first responders and individuals with special needs and mental health diagnoses.
Albert Lea, Minn., Fire Rescue Addresses Chronic 911 Callers
Jim McKay / GovTech
April 26, 2024
Like many cities, Albert Lea, Minn., is suffering from a shortage of EMTs and has embarked on a pilot with the Mayo Clinic and a nonprofit to provide resources to help people who repeatedly call 911.
Renovated 911 dispatch center seeks better response times
Megan Rose Dickey / AXIOS San Francisco
April 26, 2024
San Francisco's emergency management department recently unveiled its revamped 911 dispatch center as it works to improve emergency response times.
Why it matters: Dispatcher response times trended downward over the past few years, as the department hasn't reached its monthly goal of responding to 95% of calls within 15 seconds since June 2020, according to the city's Department of Emergency Management (DEM).
By the numbers: The city's 911 dispatch center receives an average of 3,200 calls every day, according to the release.
PRESS RELEASE / Baltimore City
April 27, 2024
BALTIMORE, MD (Saturday, April 27, 2024) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott launched the next iteration of the #BuildBetterBMore 90-day City services sprints for the 2024 Spring season. The city services sprints are meant to bring attention to the work that city agencies and employees do on a daily basis, foster healthy competition between agencies and crews, and engage with residents on how to submit 311 requests for city services.
911 meets 988 at emergency call center serving Gig Harbor area
Conor Wilson / Gig Harbor Now
April 29, 2024
As the largest 911 call center in Washington, a growing number of the nearly 1 million calls South Sound 911 handles annually involve someone experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.
911 dispatcher helps deliver baby over the phone
Jessica Patrick / WRAL News
April 30, 2024
A California couple got a chance to meet with the 911 dispatcher who helped instruct them over the phone to deliver their baby.
Five Oklahoma Agencies Select CentralSquare’s 911 Solution
PRESS RELEASE / CentralSquare
April 30, 2024
LAKE MARY, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CentralSquare Technologies, an industry leader in public sector technology, today announced that five Oklahoma public safety agencies have selected CentralSquare’s 911 solution to go live this summer. This deployment aims to improve GIS mapping, enable seamless collaboration and ensure critical 911 infrastructure has backup servers to maintain operations during severe weather events.
Montgomery County applauds 911 center telecommunicators
Rachel Ravina / North Penn Now
April 30, 2024
People call 911 in times of crisis and someone is there to answer.
Those within the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety were recognized by officials in honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which took place from April 14 to April 20.
Second graders learn to be comfortable in emergent situations
Bella Kraft / KFYR TV
April 29, 2024
NEW SALEM, N.D. (KFYR) - 911 dispatchers get more than 240 million calls a year and sometimes the person on the other end of the line is a child. State Radio helped a group of New Salem second graders get familiar with emergency calls.
New Salem second grader Harper Bennett and her classmates learned how to handle emergent situations.
Long-awaited Nevada DMV modernization likely delayed, may cost $300M more
Eric Neugeboren / The Nevada Independent
April 29, 2024
One month after Nevada DMV officials said that the long-awaited project to upgrade the agency’s antiquated computer systems was on track and within budget, the agency now says the plan will likely take three more fiscal years and cost $300 million more than originally anticipated.
Caught on camera: Boaters in Boca Raton seen dumping trash into ocean
Joel Lopez / WPTV News
April 29, 2024
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Video taken on Sunday has many people outraged as a group of about 10 people on a boat are seen dumping trash into the ocean in Boca Raton.
Cellphones and car devices can accidentally call 911: Here's why you shouldn't hang up
Jackie Bensen / NBC 4 Washington
May 1, 2024
New technology, new problems.
Local emergency services providers said they are receiving accidental 911 alerts from people’s smart devices. In some cases, it’s been prompted by something as simple as dropping an Apple Watch onto a hard floor.
More Like Cops Than Clerks? 911 Dispatchers Push For Recognition As First Responders
Honolulu Civil Beat / Madeleine Valera
May 1, 2024
A bill before Congress would remove the clerical label and classify dispatchers as a "protective service occupation," empowering them to negotiate for better pay and benefits.
Dispatchers who handle 911 calls, give lifesaving information to people in crisis and coordinate responses fall under the same occupational category as customer service representatives, receptionists, secretaries, typists, and insurance claims clerks.
Oregon DMV sued over data breach
Staff / KGW8 News
April 30, 2024
Two Oregonians are suing the state after a data breach compromised the personal information of millions of people.
What to know as SF launches parking enforcement crackdown
Ginger Conejero Saab / NBC Bay Area
May 1, 2024
Starting Wednesday, enforcement for parking violations in San Francisco will step up, and drivers will want to know what parking enforcers are targeting.
A couple of general tips to start with: Make sure to keep the meter fed and pay attention to signs because there typically isn’t just one rule for all parking spaces.