Power of Will — The Bucket List Item You Should Cross Off First
In mid-May 2022 our family lost someone dear to them, a life-long public safety servant, former military and police officer, who closed out his 40+ year tenure to public service as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. He was happily enjoying his retirement for the...
911 Dispatcher Burnout
911 telecommunicators are often the first line of defense in public safety. These brave individuals are constantly faced with terrifying situations, and yet they're often left without the support they need to maintain their mental health. This is...
School Shootings, Active Assailant, Terrorist Acts… What happens in the PSAP?
Active Assailant, is an individual (or individuals), actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. This is the definition approved and used by the US government agencies1 A Mass shooting, according to...
Growing Up In Public Safety – One 9-1-1 Telecommunicator’s Journey
If you are a second (or third or fourth) generation public safety professional, you already know what it is like to grow up in a family of police, fire fighters, EMS workers, or 9-1-1 Telecommunicators. As a second generation 9-1-1 Telecommunicator, I knew what it...
National Law Enforcement Week April 15-21, 2022
In 1962 President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which May 15 falls, as National Police week. National Police week is a way of honoring, remembering, and supporting law enforcement officers throughout the country....
The Unseen Heroes of Public Safety – National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week 2022
April & May, the time of year we enjoy all things spring; new growth, warmer weather, the sweet scent of flowers blooming, and honoring the first responders in the field of public safety – beginning in April with the 9-1-1 Telecommunications Employees. We want to...
National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (NPSTW)
In 1981 an incident in Contra Costa County California sparked what we now know as NPSTW and for 41 years, PSAPs of all sizes have acknowledged their staff in a variety of ways. The incident in Contra Costa County started innocently enough. The Sheriff decided he was...
Improving Your Response Accuracy
It happens. A 9-1-1 call comes in and you confirm and enter the location information as accurately as possible from the caller’s words and nothing pops in your CAD. You force the address and hope that it can be found. Your CAD, MSAG and GIS maps are not perfect....
Communication For The Communicators
How many times, in your 911 career, have you released the transmit button after speaking to an officer and mumble words similar to, “Wow, what a grouch (or maybe some other words), you want me to write the report for you too?” or “Geez, can’t you...