tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33738120326951133112024-02-26T05:53:06.413-06:00Dispatching DiscussionsThe 911 Dispatcher is the first "First Responder." The dispatcher is the vital link, ensuring clear communication between all responders, affecting the safety of both the citizen in need and the police, fire and emergency medical personnel responding. Through our actions, we help save lives, protect property, and assist the public in their time of need. In this blog, I will share articles and other things of interest that may help dispatchers do their job more efficiently.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-35105448159877277522015-03-24T11:48:00.001-05:002015-03-24T11:48:52.772-05:00Recognition of Work Well Done: Nominate an Employee Who Has Gone Above and Beyond<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, March 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Written by John W. Wright, communications analyst based in Riverside, Calif. Reach him at rfanalyst@gmail.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As a communications center manager or shift supervisor, we are often recognized by our own departments when our division or shift does a great job. Sometimes upper management notes the accomplishments of our hard-working employees, such as supporting the mission, handling a major incident or working through a crisis, as a sign of quality supervision in our own evaluations or commendations. But these accolades are truly the result of dedicated teamwork by the professional telecommunicators who work for you. Now don't get me wrong, good supervision is essential to leading a quality team, but when circumstances require everyone to step up, outstanding work by the members of your team is how this is accomplished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have always heard that a good manager leads by example, but a great manager also recognizes the hard work done by others. So, when was the last time you formally recognized one of your employees, or team of employees, for a job well done? As managers, we often make mention in an annual employee evaluation, or a memo for their personnel file, outstanding accomplishments. But I suggest that all of us should be routinely finding additional opportunities to publicly (even if only within the department) recognize employees when they go above and beyond expectations in service to the department or the public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As an example, my city's PSAP in Riverside, Calif., holds a week of recognition and celebration every year during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NTPSTW), which takes place the second week in April, to recognize the hard work done by all of their PSAP professionals. This is in addition to formal recognition throughout the year at department events. Management routinely nominates employees to the CPRA's (APCOs Southern California Chapter's) annual telecommunicator awards, which recognize public safety communications professionals throughout Southern California.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am extremely proud that these employees have received many well-deserved awards from CPRA over the past 20-plus years that the chapter has held this annual event during NPSTW. The department has also nominated several employees for the annual APCO International Public Safety Communications Awards Program (PSAP) over the years, and some employees have been recognized at the International level with top awards for Telecommunicator of the Year and Communications Center Director of the Year. I know that many, if not all, of our chapters hold events, annual awards or conferences where there is an opportunity to have the work of your employees publicly recognized.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">While there are many opportunities to recognize your employees (such as those listed above), it will not happen if you do not take the time to be a great manager or supervisor. I know it is a bit of extra work, and our typical workload always seems to be greater than the time you have to do it, but no one will ever know of their exceptional work without you taking a few minutes to write it up. Nominations do not require you to write the next great American novel; just describe what they did and the results of their hard work. I have had the wonderful opportunity to occasionally participate in evaluating some of the nominations submitted to the CPRA Chapter Awards Committee from PSAPs. Many of the top winners were from nominations that were brief, but also clear and concise. Although, with that said, I also would caution you to submit more than, "They do a great job and deserve this award." Include a bit of explanation and details. Filling out the nomination form completely is always essential.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">For the PSAP awards, APCO has a very dedicated group of member volunteers who spend many long hours reviewing nominations each year to select those who will be recognized at the annual conference in August. The APCO Awards Committee accepts nominations for Telecommunicator of the Year, Communications Center Director of the Year, Line Supervisor of the Year, Radio Frequency (RF)Technologist of the Year, Information Technologist of the Year, Trainer of the Year and Team of the Year. Nominations are accepted between January 1 and April 1 each year and nominees, or their nominators, do not need to be members of APCO International to be nominated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Additionally, APCO International has a Technology Leadership Awards Program designed to recognize PSAPs and other public safety communications agencies for their use of technological advancements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Will you be just a good manager or supervisor, or a great one? For more information on the awards program, visit www.apcointl.org/awards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I wish to personally thank the members of the APCO Awards Committee and all those who recognize the dedication and hard work of professionals who serve in public safety communications.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-80724596069428576652015-02-26T11:47:00.000-06:002015-02-26T11:47:24.052-06:00Tactical Dispatch: Understanding What a Tactical Dispatcher Is<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, January 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Rhonda Harper, MA, RPL, NREMT, is the 9-1-1 administrator for the Independence (MO) Police Department and an APCO Institute adjunct instructor. Reach her at rharper@indepmo.org.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When discussing training and required skillsets, it is often asked just what, exactly, the difference is between a tactical dispatcher and a telecommunicator. The best, though somewhat complicated answer, is that the purpose of the tactical dispatcher is to support specialized teams with accurate, efficient documentation of events during critical incidents. The simpler answer is that the two positions actually do perform many of the same duties and hold the same responsibilities, just on a different level of criticality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with most elements of public safety communications, the difference depends on individual circumstances and the agency in which the dispatchers perform. No matter where you go, the tactical dispatcher and the telecommunicator quickly gather information from the caller and a host of other available sources, then disseminate that information to units in the field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The profession of public safety telecommunicator is constantly evolving, and there is no such thing as having too much knowledge. There is always some new technology or skill to be learned or shared with colleagues. It is essential for telecommunicators to know every aspect of their jobs, as well as their agency's policies and procedures. The daily practices of the telecommunicator must mirror the policies and procedures the agency has in place in order to minimize liability for the telecommunicator, the agency and any governing entities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This general standard for all telecommunicators goes hand-in-hand with rising to the specialized skill level of a tactical dispatcher, though how the position of tactical dispatcher is utilized will vary from agency to agency. For example, some agencies have the tactical dispatcher respond with the SWAT team for hostage situations or barricaded subjects in a specialized mobile command post, while other agencies will have the dispatcher run this position from a console. This decision depends on the individual agency's available equipment, manpower, resources and needs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There continue to be misconceptions of the 9-1-1 emergency number system by the general public. It is often believed (and the media plays a part in exacerbating this problem) that when an individual calls 9-1-1 for help, they are speaking to a member of the specific profession that is needed. For example, if someone calls for a medical emergency, they assume they are talking to a medically trained professional such as a paramedic or EMT. And when people call 9-1-1 to report a fire, they often believe they are talking to a firefighter. Or if they call to report a crime, they believe they are speaking to a law enforcement officer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What the general public doesn't realize is that, in many jurisdictions, they are actually speaking to a civilian who is specially trained to take their calls for service and assign units to help when the caller so desperately seeks assistance. Telecommunicators possess a set of skills and personality traits unique to their profession that aren't always shared by field officers, firefighters or paramedics. Among those skills is an innate ability to multitask -- managing multiple incidents and sources of information at the same time, all while listening and accurately repeating complex information in a concise and efficient manner. Having a skilled tactical dispatcher on duty during heightened incidents is critical because it frees up officers to resume tactical field roles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The desire alone to become a tactical dispatcher is unfortunately not enough to pass the skill level or qualifications necessary to perform this duty. Each agency has its own process in which tactical dispatchers are chosen, however the first step for every agency is to decide what duties and responsibilities will be the domain of the tactical dispatcher. The next step is to look at the qualities and characteristics needed for an individual to become a tactical dispatcher. Again, each agency is different and will have different requirements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tactical dispatcher must be proficient not only in their daily duties, but also in the specialized knowledge required by their agency, and they must possess a will to continually seek out more knowledge. Working in this capacity, the tactical dispatcher must understand the "why" behind the "what" of their jobs. If something goes wrong, the tactical dispatcher must find a work-around. The primary duty of any telecommunicator is to protect their responders and the public. This task is especially crucial during heightened situations when a tactical response is needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not everyone can make it as a dispatcher. There continues to be a shortage of experienced and dedicated telecommunicators in agencies nationwide because of this fact. Failing to pass the training program doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on the person, it simply means it takes a very special type of person to be able to do this job.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The general daily duties of a telecommunicator include gathering information, prioritizing needs based on the response level required and resources available, then recording and documenting all communications. This, in a nutshell, is what the telecommunicator does. To expand further, the telecommunicator also completes requests from field responders and runs warrant checks, license plates, articles and vehicles through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) while keeping responders up to date and disseminating information quickly, efficiently and accurately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These tasks are typically performed within a dispatch center, often with other employees working nearby. Depending on the agency's preferences and resources, the tactical dispatcher may work from within the comm center at a console or on scene, typically from a response unit specially designed for radio capabilities. When the tactical dispatcher is based in a specialized response unit, it is imperative the individual chosen for this position is able to work around any problems or unexpected situations, as there will not be assistance available from a nearby co-worker or supervisor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Specific qualifications for the tactical dispatcher position will vary depending on the individual agency. Below is a list of common requirements.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dispatcher may be required to be on the job for a predetermined number of years prior to being given the opportunity to apply.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must be able to monitor and complete multiple tasks at once without missing any radio traffic or information.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must adhere to policies and standard operating procedures as set forth by the agency.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must have proficient knowledge of the jurisdiction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must be able to problem-solve as a situation progresses.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must be able to document and relay information to field units in a timely and accurate manner.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must be able to remain calm under intense pressure and for long periods of time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must be able to utilize technological equipment effectively.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is not just one type of incident in which a tactical dispatcher may be needed. This specialized skill can be utilized during several critical incidents such as active shooter situations; hostage or barricaded subject incidents; natural, manmade or terrorist disasters; or even planned events such as parades, holiday festivities or carnival events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As telecommunicators, we always hope for the best and plan for the worst. Even in our day-to-day professional activities, breaks are considered a luxury and our call loads dictate how we plan our days. Depending upon the situation, it can be difficult to even take a short bathroom break, and forget a smoke break if there is no one to relieve you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tactical dispatcher is subject to call-outs and must be available when they are needed. There is no rhyme or reason as to when incidents occur, but when situations go downhill they often go in a quick sliding fashion. Therefore it is best to have more than one tactical dispatcher in each agency. Depending upon the size of your agency, you may consider one-eighth of your staff, with a minimum of two tactical dispatchers. For the smaller agencies, one-third may be considered to account for sickness or vacations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Considerations</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The skills required of a tactical dispatcher should be specifically planned out and tested prior to an incident occurring. It is never optimal to do trial by error, on the fly of under pressure. The dispatchers should be included in the planning process for responding to tactical events. This is especially essential if there is no one else available with a background in dispatch to ensure all needs are adequately met. If those planning out the needs of the tactical dispatcher do not have a background in communications, it can lead to potential issues when a real-life scenario does arise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unexpected events, or incidents in which a tactical dispatcher is needed, can quickly become overwhelming and draining to the dispatcher, especially when they are alone without backup. This is another reason to have more than one telecommunicator trained in tactical dispatch. This is not unlike Incident Command System (ICS) activation or the incident commander position. The role of the tactical dispatcher may change depending on the relief staff available.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's face it: the role of the dispatcher has not been around for that long. AT&T enacted 9-1-1 as the national number to be used in an emergency in 1968. It wasn't until 1999 that Congress passed the law making it the nation's number to call in an emergency situation. The term tactical dispatcher is even newer, but an increasing number of telecommunicators have moved to this type of specialized dispatch over the past decade, and the term continues to be defined each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Job Description</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The primary duty of the tactical dispatcher is to protect responders in the field. The size of the tactical dispatching team needed depends on the size of the department. Too large of a specialized group and the need for each individual to call-out may be rare, while too small of a group could lead to burnout. In the event a tactical incident occurs in your jurisdiction, whether it be a manmade disaster, terrorist event or natural disaster, you may want to consider a group large enough to handle that situation. A contingency plan must be considered in the event members are unable to respond due to power outages or road closures. A good rule of thumb is to have enough members on rotation at least once weekly for every four to six weeks. Again, this is dependent upon the jurisdiction and how large of a community your agency services, as well as the number of average call-outs per month. You want to ensure everyone is able to utilize their skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When considering the selection process you would like to institute for your agency, it is important to consider the attributes you would like your tactical dispatchers to encompass. When we think of SWAT members, we think of them as an elite team. The same goal should be set for tactical dispatchers, as they will be working with those elite members of the SWAT team. The individuals chosen for this specialized duty must be a step above -- always taking advantage of available tools and resources, and always striving to learn more information.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Training & Preparation</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The need for current and continued training is prevalent throughout the public safety communications field. Telecommunicators at the level of tactical dispatcher have an even greater need for training to ensure they have the skills necessary to perform the functions required of the job. The work of tactical dispatchers differs from standard telecommunicators location of dispatching, proximity to other first responders and, of course, the heightened tensions that often come with those scenarios. Training must be completed with the responding units; when you are needed, you must be ready and prepared to get to work. Each member of the responding unit will have their own jobs to do, there will not be anyone there to help you get your equipment set up or hold your hand. As the team's tactical dispatcher, it is up to you to be prepared and ready to respond for any situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each agency is different from the other, what works for one may not necessarily work for the next. Several variables will play into the types of responses your agency's SWAT team and tactical dispatcher will respond to, however the training you receive and complete with them as their tactical dispatcher will help you understand how they respond to such incidents and anticipate their needs before the request is made. It is not unlike other types of dispatching in which we get to know our officers and begin to collect or search for information prior to them asking for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are several benefits to utilizing a tactical dispatcher rather than utilizing a dispatcher out of the communications unit. When you have a team available, even if they rotate through on call-outs, there is a level of consistency and trust built, as well as a rapport between the team members. In working as a team, one begins to anticipate what the other team members need and the process begins to run like a well-oiled machine. During critical incidents this can become crucial, as each member will have their own jobs to accomplish, making it difficult to stop and assist or answer questions during a learning process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as SWAT teams train together, tactical dispatchers should also train with the SWAT team. This helps the dispatcher to better understand what is going on in the field while under safe training conditions, and it also allows the SWAT members to better understand the role of the tactical dispatcher and become familiar with them as well. This process will assist in identifying any areas of weakness or issues with equipment, technology or other essential items, plus any needs that can be met prior to an actual incident occurring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will always be training challenges as well for most agencies. This is especially true during economic downturns, when agencies may need to decrease overtime for budgetary reasons. If an agency does not have the ability to adjust schedules for training purposes, an option may be to offer compensatory time instead to allow for training time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What the Future Holds</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The role of the dispatcher is ever-changing, and the future only holds more advancement and technological changes than ever before. These changing times mean that public safety communications professionals also need to continuously move forward. Just think, 15 years ago cellphones were fairly non-existent, CAD systems didn't give us the capabilities they do now and many still worked off pen and paper within their comm centers. Now, households increasingly are getting rid of their landlines and using cell phones exclusively. The more technology changes, the more our jobs change on a daily basis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As each year passes, more situations will occur needing the specialized skills of SWAT teams and tactical dispatchers. We are not the only ones who learn from previous incidents: the next individual wanting to do harm is also doing their homework, creating an essential need for those specialized teams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The role and implementation of the tactical dispatcher is still relatively new to many agencies throughout the country and, as we all know, change does not come easy. However, if you are interested in implementing a tactical dispatch program at your agency, there are numerous training manuals, books and online resources discussing this profession and specialized positions. These are also beneficial if you are interested in stepping into one of these specialized positions to further your own career.</span></div>
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Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-82983770619651545822015-02-26T08:15:00.001-06:002015-02-26T08:15:42.810-06:00Training for Success: Tips for Onboarding New Telecommunicators<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, January 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Written by Melissa Kumle-Hammes & Rachael Elvers; Melissa is a Public Policy and Administration PhD student. She also works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Joint Emergency Communications Center of Johnson County, Iowa, and serves on APCO's Editorial Advisory Committee. Rachael is a 9-1-1 dispatcher and certified training officer for the Joint Emergency Communications Center of Johnson County, Iowa. She is also a licensed paramedic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After an exhaustive, extensive and likely expensive hiring process, the "right" candidate is selected to fulfill the duties of a dispatcher or telecommunicator in an emergency communications center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, now what?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite often, the new employee fills out paperwork and then begins training with their assigned certified training officer (CTO). Unfortunately, onboarding -- the process in which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviors to become effective organizational members -- tends to be overlooked or skipped altogether. Onboarding is a communications center's one and only chance to make a positive first impression on, and ultimately connect with, the new telecommunicator. More specifically, successful onboarding will help a new calltaker or dispatcher to not only learn their job duties, but also understand the social, performance and training facets of their newly chosen communications career.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why is onboarding important to your communications center? Research indicates that onboarding creates happy and productive employees, and reduces the likelihood of turnover. With an average cost of $18,388 per new hire, most communications centers cannot afford to lose trained dispatchers. Yet, the nationwide turnover rate of emergency communications employees is nearly 20%, which means two out of every 10 telecommunicators exit the occupation each year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Onboarding is a proven method to mitigate turnover is many industries, and it can be easily applied to any communications center. Here are a few tips to create or improve the onboarding process for all new hires at your communications center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Make the First Day Count</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Use the employee's first day on the job as an opportunity to impress the new telecommunicator and reinforce their confidence that they made the right decision to accept the job. While mundane human resources paperwork is a necessity, do not let it consume the entire day's activities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instead, construct comfortable situations to make staff introductions and then provide an opportunity for the new employee to be social with other staff members. Create a "welcome kit" -- this can comprise items as simple as company pens or notepads -- designed to make the new telecommunicator feel like part of the team. Make the first day as fun as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The training process for a new telecommunicator can last upwards of a year depending upon the size of the communications center, and new employees may not count toward minimum staffing during that time. But even if they don't count toward your minimum, they still <i>matter</i> and it's important for supervisors to demonstrate this. Therefore, confidence reinforcement is extremely important during training to ensure the new employee knows they matter to the team. In other words, create training tasks that help them feel like a contributing member whose efforts are valuable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Introduce Stress & Teach Them How to Cope</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Emergency calltakers and dispatchers are expected to possess significantly greater knowledge than ever before in order to provide quality and efficient life-saving services to their communities. In fact, research indicates that telecommunicators experience comparable levels of stress to police officers on the street.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A relevant study details how 9-1-1 telecommunicators are subject to the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and PTSD due to compassion fatigue. Fundamentally, compassion fatigue is defined as being overwhelmed with compassion or concern for others. For these reasons, a newly hired telecommunicator needs to be introduced to the stress of the job, but also given the tools to cope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, make certain the new hire is aware of any employee assistance program or mental health-related services offered by your agency. Second, prepare them for the negative aspects of the job while still ensuring that their day is predominated by the positive and achievable aspects. Third, teach the new telecommunicator how to separate their emotions from the necessary tasks of their job. While empathy is important, calltakers and dispatchers need to maintain control of their emotions. Finally, emphasize that every day will be filled with opportunities to help their community. The new employee needs to feel proud that they will possess the skills to help people during what may be the worst event of their life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Set Them Up to Succeed</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The new telecommunicator may be the perfect person for your communications center, but they need to be treated, trained and valued properly from day one in order to succeed. First, ensure your training program is up-to-date, adequate and measurable. Second, create an organized orientation week to guarantee the new employee is immediately able to build relationships and feel comfortable at your center. Third, provide the new employee with plenty of one-on-one time with their training officer (with and without the stress of the trainer counting toward minimum staffing). Finally, vary the new telecommunicator's daily training tasks as much as possible. Challenge them every day in new ways to keep them motivated and productive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do not waste the time, effort and money put into finding and training the "right" new telecommunicator by improperly introducing them to your communications center. Take the time to prepare all new employees for their careers by incorporating a strategic and calculated onboarding process. After all, research proves that proper new employee onboarding leads to higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, higher performance levels, lower stress, and lower turnover.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-58963450405412638232015-02-25T13:52:00.001-06:002015-02-25T13:52:31.653-06:00Serving Callers in Need: Evaluating the Cost of a Smile in Emergency Communications<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, January 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Stephen Martini, emergency communications supervisor at Brentwood (Tenn) 9-1-1. Before joining public safety, Martini was a newspaper journalist in North Carolina and Tennessee. Contact him via email at martinis@brentwood-tn.org.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are 9-1-1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Telecommunicators proudly (and rightly) boast the fact they answer the call in the direst of circumstances. We display mottos declaring we are there when seconds count and when lives are on the line; then we tell the police where to go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the reality in most centers is that 9-1-1 calls make up a fraction of our overall call load -- and many of those 9-1-1 calls are non-emergency in nature. Having worked in two PSAPs in my career, I know firsthand that approximately 80% of calls placed into the PSAP are on non-emergency lines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why are we still using the urgent nature of our profession to excuse poor customer service?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In more than a decade in public safety communications, I have heard a variety of excuses for delivering poor customer service. I have seen some telecommunicators curtly disconnect with a caller in the name of not tying up 9-1-1 lines, while others gave harsh, almost sarcastic, instructions to callers while advising their reported emergency was barely worth reporting at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, one former co-worker once informed me they did not have to answer administrative calls at all, deeming it a self-declared perk of seniority.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's table the clear lack of supervision in the last example and focus on the core issue: customer service. What does customer service look like in the comm center? Where can we turn to learn more about such an important topic? Where do we begin? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who Are Our Customers?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start, we must determine who our customers are:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Responders in the field (fire, police, EMS, other dispatchable resources)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Residents and visitors who call for assistance (9-1-1 and non-emergency callers)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our fellow first responders in the PSAP</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How we interact with each of these customers will change based on the nature of their request. For example, an officer screaming for back-up on the radio will receive an abrupt and targeted response from a focused telecommunicator keen to send the right help to the right place at the right time. However, if that same officer called on the phone seeking a phone number to a business across town, our reaction would not be nearly as abrupt and targeted. In fact, as we prioritize that request in light of other tasks we are completing at the time, we may ask the officer if we can call them back with that information--something you would never do if an officer called for help on the radio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this first article in a series on customer service, we focus on serving our callers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A caller reporting a home invasion requires an exceptional level of care: a targeted response from a well-trained telecommunicator weaving strategically through relevant call guides and protocols to gather critical information to assist law enforcement and protect the caller prior to field responders arriving on the scene. In this situation, it is important to focus the caller's answers to match your questions, and to keep the caller focused on providing relevant information for both their safety and that of the officers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A seasoned telecommunicator may talk over the caller, cut them off or interrupt with a clear, authoritative tone to control the call. All of these techniques are important when gathering critical information in a time-and safety-sensitive environment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can we apply the same call-handling techniques to the caller who starts his call saying "I know this isn't an emergency, but....?" Those words are cringe-worthy. Many telecommunicators shudder at what may follow some variation of this well-known phrase.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or what about the citizen who calls to ask about trash collection, fireworks displays, noise ordinances, or to report that their purse was stolen overnight from where they left it on the front seat of their unlocked vehicle? Often, this is an area where our call-processing customer service falters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Non-Emergency Calls Matter</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When handling non-emergency or administrative phone calls, we should turn our attention to the wealth of training information available at corporate call centers that handle millions of incoming calls per year. In those situations, we should borrow some pages from their personal selling playbook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personal selling is a promotional method in which one party uses skills and techniques for building personal relationships with another party, resulting in both parties obtaining value.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what value do we give? We offer confidence, competence and compassion for our callers in their time of need, regardless of the nature or priority of their emergency. What do we obtain in return? Happy callers tell their experience to their friends, neighbors, co-workers, family which work their way back to city or county administrators, commissioners, councilpersons and department heads through shared participation in civic organizations, church or other social events. Happy residents are happy voters who are happy to fund municipal departments that add value to their lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personal selling allows us to adapt to the situation, engage in a dialogue with the caller, so we can build relationships with the caller to ensure they receive the appropriate service and that their problem is resolved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the 2012 Forrester's Customer Experience Index, 89% of customers are likely to buy from a competing company. This may be why we offer poor customer service on administrative calls -- as government employees, we <i>are</i> the only option! Who is our competition? What other choice do our callers have? They're stuck, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let's look at it from a different perspective: Customers who believe they are receiving poor service and believe they do not have options will be disgruntled and loud. They may move away, negatively affecting our tax base, or they may stay and appeal to administrators and elected officials for reform. Our customers deserve good service and they do have options when they feel they are being mistreated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same Forrester study reported that 69% of customers say they prefer live assistance over the phone because they feel their questions can be fully addressed, and 80% of companies want to use the customer service experience they offer as a way to differentiate themselves from their competition. According to a 2013 study by LivePerson.com (a company that connects clients and companies online), 82% of people say getting their issue resolved quickly is the number one factor to a great customer experience. According to an internal American Express customer survey conducted in 2012, 26% of consumers said they experienced being transferred from agent to agent without any resolution to their problem. A 2011 article in <i>Return on Behavior </i>Magazine, 55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee better service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, according to customer service professional Ruby Newell-Legner, author of the book <i>Understanding Customers</i>, it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personal selling is expensive and labor intensive, since guaranteeing a live person is on-hand to address and resolve your concern requires actual people rather than deploying an automated system (salaries, benefits and a comfortable work environment, are just a few of the associated expenses). So the investment your agency makes in you is, in turn, an investment they hope you are making into your community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Beyond Being 'Polite'</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is pretty easy to see the connection between providing high-quality customer care and receiving high-quality support from your community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We must navigate call guides with measured ease, using the questions as a guide for fluid conversation rather than items to check off a list during a hostile interrogation. With only one chance to make a great first impression upon which we can build rapport, callers must know we acknowledge and understand their concerns, not solely gather information so we can dispatch the "real help." Often, that means listening to the caller long enough to determine their concerns so we can adequately determine how to deliver the right type of help -- whether that means dispatching responders or connecting the caller with an outside agency or civil legal service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have to fight the urge to blindly transfer a caller concerned about their faulty water heater, power outage or missed garbage collection date to an unstaffed voicemail without explanation because their call isn't an emergency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Offering a higher level of care relies on a variety of outside factors: proper supervision, adequate staffing, proper training, access to relevant information, functioning technology to ensure proper receipt and transfer of calls, and adequate pay and benefits. These aspects should be considered by all administrators who have a hand in providing high-quality, personal customer service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, we are ultimately responsible for ourselves. We can control whether we smile while speaking with a caller (you do know callers can hear you smiling, right?) and whether we take the extra five seconds to explain a process or acknowledge a concern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information on offering great customer service, read John Miller's book, <i>QBQ! The Question Behind the Question</i>, which focuses on what you can do to help others. Another valuable resource is retired Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini's book, <i>Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service,</i> which explains the unique world of customer service in the realm of public safety.</span></div>
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Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-81957064941419282102015-02-25T12:37:00.000-06:002015-02-25T12:37:00.135-06:00Using the ERG: Emergency Response Guidebook Aids Telecommunicator Response<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, January 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by David Donohue, MA, MEP, CEM, EMT-P, is the director of Franklin County (N.Y.) Department of Emergency Services.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine it's a quiet Thursday afternoon at your PSAP, which serves a rural and suburban county of more than 200,000 people, providing emergency dispatch services to several small police departments and a combination of small, primarily volunteer, EMS and fire departments. The PSAP receives a call from a local food processing company. The caller, the plant manager, advises that a worker has driven a forklift into a cooling line, resulting in a leak of anhydrous ammonia. The ammonia cloud is exiting the facility to the east, and is moving toward a nearby neighborhood and elementary school, located approximately a quarter-mile away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You send emergency responders to the incident, and a nearby police officer is requesting information on how far out she should set up road blocks. Shortly thereafter, the first responding engine advises that they are unable to find their Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) and require assistance in researching initial actions and evacuation distances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Emergency Response Guidebook</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ERG, which is required to be on board every emergency vehicle, is a valuable tool for emergency personnel facing hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction incidents. The guidebook -- developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Transport Canada and the Secretariat of Transport and Communications of Mexico -- is designed to provide initial guidance for emergency personnel responding to a hazardous materials accident, as well as response to unknown substances or weapons of mass destruction. PSAP personnel should be familiar with the ERG in order to better support field providers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ERG is broken down into five color-coded sections. Each section provides information that leads to general guidelines for initial emergency response. There are two sections of white-bordered pages. The first white-bordered section runs from the front cover to page 19. The response information begins on the inside cover by identifying where shipping papers for hazardous materials will be kept, based on the method of transportation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Page 1 lists the three primary steps for using the ERG, and pages 2 and 3 provide general response procedures. Pages 4 through 19 provide means of classifying hazardous materials by DOT class and division number, placards, United Nations (UN) Hazard Identification Number, container number and type, and pipeline. In addition, the Table of Placards located on pages 6 and 7, and the container diagrams for both rail and road containers located on pages 8 and 9, provide initial direction on which emergency guide should be utilized based on the information available. These guides are indicated by a circled 3-digit number located next to the diagram or placard. This 3-digit guide can be found in the orange section, which is located in the middle of the guidebook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The yellow-bordered pages, which run from page 20 through page 89, list chemicals by their 4-digit UN identification number. Explosives, however, do not have a UN number and are listed first on page 21. The UN number can be found on shipping papers, within placards and on the orange panel located on the outside of shipping containers such as rail cars and trucks. In addition, some facility pre-incident documents and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) plans may list the UN number. The column located next to the UN number provides a 3-digit number that corresponds to the emergency action guides located in the orange-bordered section. The use of the letter P following the 3-digit guide number indicates that the material may be subject to polymerization. In other words, the material may rapidly grow in size, resulting in a failure of the container to hold the material.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blue-bordered pages are the third section of the ERG and are similar to the previous section. The chemicals are listed in alphabetical order. The emergency action guide is listed in the middle column and the UN identification number is located in the last column. Some of the materials listed are highlighted in green. This indicates that the materials are extremely toxic and require modified protective action distances. If a material is highlighted in green and there is a leak or spill with no fire, then the initial isolation and evacuation distances listed in the green section should be used.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beginning with Guide 111, located on page 160, the orange-bordered pages provide general direction to guide the emergency responders' actions through the first minutes of the hazardous materials emergency. These two-page guides list the general hazard along the top border of the pages. The left page has two sections. The top section identifies the general fire or explosive hazards and health hazards. Whichever hazard is listed first is the greatest hazard. The second section identifies response actions including protective clothing and evacuation distances, which are intended to provide for the health and welfare of the community. The right-hand page describes emergency response actions that may be taken, including methods of fire extinguishment, spill and leak control, and first aid measures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The green-bordered pages are composed of three tables. Chemicals listed in the green-bordered pages are either very toxic in low doses or produce toxic gases when exposed to water. These materials require quick, positive action within the protective action zone to reduce the likelihood of death. These actions may include shelter-in-place or evacuation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chemicals listed in table 1 of the green section, which are also highlighted in both the yellow and blue sections of the ERG, provide actions for both small and large spills, each of which begin with identifying a recommended initial isolation distance first. This is the distance that should be evacuated in all directions. This is followed by recommended protective action distances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Table 2 in the green-bordered pages provide a listing of water-reactive chemicals that give off materials that are toxic by inhalation when they are wet. If the materials become wet, then the action distances listed in the orange section should be followed. For example, if a rail car containing potassium cyanide is involved in an incident, and the material becomes wet, whether by firefighting efforts or weather, hydrogen cyanide gas is produced. If the incident occurs at night, then an initial isolation distance of 300 feet should be established and downwind protection actions should take place within 0.8 miles of the incident. However, if the same material is involved in an incident and is not exposed to water, then the initial isolation distance is reduced by 75% to 75 feet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Table 3 in the green-bordered section provides isolation and protective action distances for six common toxic inhalation hazards for incidents involving releases from various sizes of containers, and takes into account wind speed as well as time of day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final white-bordered section runs from page 356 through the back cover. It begins with directions on how to use the ERG and describes potential actions that may be taken, including initial isolation, evacuation and fire control. The section also briefly describes the types of protective clothing, their use and limitations. Pages 365 and 367 provide information on Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions (BLEVE) and page 367 has general information regarding liquefied tank fires, including critical time to failure, water needed and evacuation distances based on the size of the tank. Pages 368 through 372 review the indicators of potential criminal or weapons of mass destruction involvement and page 372 provides safe stand-off distances for explosives and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank explosions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, the ERG concludes with a glossary of terms, followed by contact information for emergency response, including poison control, Chemtrec, the Department of Defense and the National Response Center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While all emergency responders, including emergency PSAP personnel, should be familiar with the ERG, the ability to use it in an emergency to provide critical information is limited by the user. Regular review and practice provide telecommunicators the ability to assist field personnel with timely and accurate initial response, and ensure the safety and security of the community are maintained. Understanding the use and limitations of the ERG will allow the PSAP to serve a a functional member of the response team during critical incidents, adding value to the role of the PSAP during emergency response.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ERG is available for download at www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/outreach-training/erg.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-58822960638230204082015-02-25T08:59:00.001-06:002015-02-25T08:59:43.247-06:00Kari's Law: MLTS E9-1-1 AwarenessTaken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, February 2015<br />
Written by Mark J. Fletcher, Avaya's Chief Architect for Worldwide Public Safety Solutions. He represents Avaya on the APCO Standards Development Committee and the NENA Institute Board, and also contributes technical guidance to various committees at the FCC.<br />
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On Dec. 1, 2013, in Marshall, Texas, Kari Hunt went to the Baymont Inn to meet her estranged husband with her children. Little did she know, a single digit would stand between her and the emergency services she would so desperately need. During the visitation, Hunt was brutally murdered in front of the children. Her nine-year-old daughter attempted to call 9-1-1 on the motel room phone, but wasn't able to get through because she didn't know to dial 9 first.<br />
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At an early age, our parents, teachers, police and firefighters teach us that if you need help, you call 9-1-1. Unfortunately, access to 9-1-1 from multi-line telephone systems (MLTS), also known as private branch exchanges (PBX) can be problematic. Often, the caller is required to dial 9 and/or another numeral before placing any outside call, including emergency calls to 9-1-1.<br />
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In response, several major hotel chains have implemented policies requiring direct dialing to 9-1-1 as part of their brand standards. Additionally, 18 states have legislation on the books regarding MLTS/PBX systems; two of those states have penalties for non-compliance.In January 2014, an updated MLTS/PBX plan was drafted and presented to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. It focused on simple steps that could be put in place at little to no cost to enhance the public's access to 9-1-1. These requirements are:<br />
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<li><b>Access to 9-1-1 with and without an access code: </b>Telephones must have the ability to reach 9-1-1 by dialing only the digits 9-1-1.</li>
<li><b>On-site notification of 9-1-1 calls: </b>This is critical so staff can respond appropriately or direct emergency services upon arrival.</li>
<li><b>Prohibiting the interception of 9-1-1 calls: </b>Answering calls internally blocks the person who needs assistance from responders.</li>
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At the "9-1-1 Goes to Washington" event held in February 2014, Commissioner Pai reported on results of an inquiry to the top hotel operators. The inquiry showed that less than half (44.5%) of corporate-owned properties allowed direct access to 9-1-1, and for franchised properties the compliance level was a mere 32%. Commissioner Pai said these numbers are unacceptable.</div>
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"The data we've gathered suggests that the MLTS at tens of thousands of buildings across the U.S. may fail consumers during the most important moments of their lives," he said. "As in Kari's case, systems at these properties will not perform one of the most important purposes of the nation's communications network -- connecting 9-1-1 callers to help."</div>
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Legislator Robert Trotta of Suffolk County, N.Y., was shocked to hear of the deficiency found in many MLTS properties. Trotta brought Kari's Law to action in New York, where Suffolk County takes up about two-thirds of Long Island's 1,400 square miles and is a popular destination for many families. Trotta was concerned not only for the lodging industry, but for businesses, which spurred his trip to Washington, D.C. A test call to 9-1-1 he placed from his Suffolk County office failed to reach 9-1-1 services. Why? Because the cloud-based MLTS services in his office didn't allow direct 9-1-1 access. Trotta's legislation was passed unanimously in just a matter of months, with current plans to bring the issue to Albany for action at the state level.</div>
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Illinois had MLTS legislation stemming back to the late 1990s in response to a tragic fire that took the life of a young businesswoman. But, like many other states, there was no language on direct access, local notification or prohibiting companies to answer their own calls with untrained personnel. After being inspired by the success in Suffolk County, Illinois Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant took the lean and presented a similar bill to the full Illinois Senate floor, where unanimous and bi-partisan support was immediately received. The bill was passed as an amendment to the existing bill, adding the three main components of Kari's Law as well as provisions for non-compliance penalties.</div>
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In Texas, the Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) held a public hearing on the issue and decided to fast-track the legislative process by using language already written, as endorsed by the majority of agencies and interested parties in attendance.</div>
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The Colorado 9-1-1 Resource Center, a nonprofit organization providing support for Colorado 9-1-1 authorities and PSAPs, has also recommended that the Colorado Public Utilities Commission review their current legislation.</div>
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In response to the tragedy of Kari Hunt's murder, the emergency communications industry took action to correct the problem. In the end, public education by MLTS manufacturers as well as the public safety community continues to raise awareness and ultimately saves lives.</div>
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-6866719880171908522015-02-25T08:13:00.001-06:002015-02-25T08:13:55.913-06:00Childbirth & the EMD: Instructions on Talking a Mother or Bystander Through Baby Delivery<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, February 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Written by Stephen H. Reichman, Sr., involved in emergency communications since 1986. He is currently superintendent of training at Bucks County Emergency Communications, located in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania. He has been an adjunct instructor for the APCO Institute for more than 11 years, is a contributing editor for the APCO CTO 4th and 5th edition curriculum and was in the first APCO EMD Instructor class in the early 1990s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The birth of a child is a joyous event in the lives of new parents or parents of multiple children. For the Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD), it can also be one of the most challenging, eventful and satisfying calls to handle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After successfully verifying the location and dispatching responders, much of the call involves following the childbirth guidecards, as well as coaching the caller and those at the scene. It is possible that the caller my be the mother who is about to give birth, or it could be a bystander(friend, family member, etc.) who will be responsible for following the telecommunicator's instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Your agency has approved childbirth protocols to help you guide the caller through each step. Adherence to the protocols will minimize confusion and create an environment where you can smoothly guide the process and maintain reasonable safety at the scene. Understanding some background information about pregnancy and childbirth will enhance your ability to process this type of incident with proficiency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Childbirth: A Momentous Event</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Many people have faced an unexpected childbirth scenario, whether because the baby arrived prematurely or because the arrival was so sudden as to prevent the mother from safely being transported to a hospital. The EMD is an integral part of this event to assist in the various aspects involved in emergency childbirth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The reality in any childbirth event is that the mother does all of the hard work, but she needs the help of those around her for support and to help her work through one of the most difficult situations in her life. The EMD and family member(s) or bystander(s) must work together to provide emotional support as well as basic first aid for the mother and baby. The EMD's primary job is to get the whole team working together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Verify the Location</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">One can never overstate the need for properly verifying the location of an emergency call, and this is the EMD's first order of business when responding to an emergency childbirth. Obtaining the incident location is 95% of our job, and we have a stated need to get the right person, in the right type of response vehicle, in the right response mode, to the right place. Any pre-arrival instructions (PAIs) we provide are just the icing on the cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If the telecommunicator fails to pay attention to location details, then help will be sent to the wrong location. It is vital that we keep our guard up when verifying the location of the incident with the caller. Always get verbal verification and make sure it matches up with your technology resources. Identifying the location properly saves time and lives. It is such a small step in the process, but it is the most important.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Additionally, the EMD needs to obtain the exact location of the mother and facilitate good scene management by getting the caller next to the mother in preparation for PAIs. Doing this early on minimizes time delays caused by restaging the caller later, and puts the caller in a better position to visualize the situation for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Dispatch Criteria Determines Response Level</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Remember that you need only one criterion to initiate a dispatch, but you will need to determine if the situation requires Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS). Your local EMD/EMS protocols should be followed in each case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As a simple guideline, verify the current status of:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>ABC</b>: If anything adversely affects the mother's Airway, Breathing and/or Circulation, dispatch ALS.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>LOC</b>: Any decreased, diminished or lowered Level of Consciousness indicates an underlying medical issue and requires the dispatch of ALS.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>MOI</b>: If there is significant Mechanism of Injury caused by some kind of trauma such as a motor vehicle accident, a fall, assault/violence, etc., dispatch ALS.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Pregnancy Trimesters</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Pregnancy is a life condition, not an illness, and should be treated as such. The medical events that occur during this life event are what the EMD responds to and assists the mother with. Pregnancy is a nine-month period divided into three, three-month phases referred to as trimesters. Months 1-3 are the first trimester, months 4-6 are the second trimester and months 7-9 are the third trimester. Our discussion revolves around the final stages of the third trimester.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As mother and baby advance through the trimesters, the severity of possible complications increases. In addition, many factors come into play that can allow for early childbirth or imminent and precipitous childbirth situations, the two most common of which are miscarriage and premature birth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Miscarriage</b> is a spontaneous expulsion of the non-viable developing baby due to trauma or an unknown issue. This can happen at any point in any of the three trimesters and has various levels of risk depending upon how far into the pregnancy the miscarriage occurs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Premature births </b>are births that occur before the baby's body is fully developed for birth at the normal time. Doctors determine viability for premature births as those that have reached at least 24 weeks of gestation. Premature birth requires intensified care to assist the baby in reaching physical maturity outside of the womb. Specialized neonatal (newborn) care is vital for the baby's survival.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Active Labor & Transition</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When a mother's body is readying for the delivery of the baby, the uterine muscles contract and relax at intervals that will cycle at quicker rates as labor progresses. Increasingly intense pain accompanies the contractions. The muscle contractions will periodically cease, which gives the mother time to regroup her strength for the next set of contractions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Timing between the contractions helps to identify if the birth is imminent of not. The active contractions phase is called "active labor." When the mother's body has adjusted the baby into position for delivery, the muscles will contract at a heightened level with intense pain so as to encourage the mother to push and complete the delivery of the baby. During this time, mothers are often close to the edge of their willingness to participate in the process and need to be encouraged and coached through this phase, which is called "transition" (i.e., the transition from labor to delivery). During transition, positive reinforcement; calm, clear, respectful and sometimes firm tone of voice; and repetitive persistence will be the strategies of choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Complications by Trimester</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In addition to active labor and delivery, telecommunicators should be prepared for a number of complications that can occur unexpectedly throughout pregnancy. First and second trimester complications include:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Miscarriage: bleeding and other complications may indicate miscarriage and may not present as something related to the pregnancy. If there appears to be no relationship between the bleeding and pregnancy, or the caller's chief complaint differs from pregnancy, use the appropriate guidecard. The EMD determines severity, dispatches the appropriate response and provides PAIs accordingly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Vaginal bleeding and other gynecological complaints should be handled by using the appropriate guidecard. Again, determine severity and dispatch the appropriate response vehicle providing any necessary PAIs.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Third Trimester complications may include:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Imminent or precipitous birth: Imminent birth involves labor pains less than two minutes apart. Precipitous birth means that the birth comes extremely fast; that is common for women who have had multiple children.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Arms, hands or feet presentations (breech): In this situation, the EMD should instruct the mother (or have a family member or bystander instruct the mother) to get into a position on her hands and knees to use gravity to maintain the baby's current position and remove some of the pressure off of the mother's lower back. On her knees, the mother can also place her arms and head down on a pillow with her hips upright. Instruct the mother to take slow, deep breaths to help her remain calm. Instruct her not to push.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Umbilical cord presentation: If the baby's head or neck gets tangled in the umbilical cord during delivery, the EMD should instruct the caller to carefully remove the cord from around the baby's neck. If the cord presents before the baby, instructions will be similar to those given in a breech situation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Placenta previa: This is a condition in which the placenta has grown over the opening of the uterus. When dilation occurs, it causes broken blood vessels and bleeding. This is a true medical emergency and treatment for shock is paramount. EMDs should instruct the caller to have the mother lay on her left side with her legs and feet elevated if possible.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The Roles of Those Involved in Emergency Childbirth</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The mother and baby are the focal point of this event. Together as a team they are working to bring new life into the world. Whatever we do will be based upon what is best for 1)the mother, and 2) the baby. Once delivery is complete, the EMD has two patients who will need to be cared for. Never forget that the mother is doing all the hard work, we are just assisting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If the caller is a bystander (not the mother herself), that person is your on-scene source of information and should be called upon to perform the actions necessary to assist and care for the mother and baby. This caller must also work to ready the scene for the arrival of emergency responders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It is not unheard of for a young child to call 9-1-1 for his or her mother while she is in labor. Always be prepared for any type of caller. Your ability to coach them through with encouragement will make the difference. Make sure to clearly articulate your questions and your instructions and, if necessary, ask them if they are OK with the instructions to verify understanding. Repeat a question or instruction to ensure you get things right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The EMD is the primary response person -- the first person from emergency services to have contact with the scene. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that EMS is dispatched to the correct location and provide updates on the incident. Remote scene management is also a large part of the responsibility, ensuring the caller is with the patient and that emergency services can access the patient. In addition, the EMD is the primary coach for the caller (family, friends or bystanders), providing vital PAIs to assist in caring for the mother and baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As well as helping the mother and baby, another skill that comes in to play is high-performance coaching. The EMD assists the caller with emotional support through the use of effective verbal techniques, proper use of the guidecard and verbal encouragement while they are performing the basic skills to help the mother during the birth. The EMD understands various caller emotional phases and overcomes them with the proper techniques.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The EMS responder and emergency room personnel round out this extraordinary team of people who will ensure the mother and baby are taken care of after the 9-1-1 call is complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Pre-Arrival Instructions for Childbirth</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Your agency has developed PAIs and protocols that best work for your region and comply with the basic PAI standard. The EMD should always stick to the guidecard and provide the information located there as necessary. Appropriate voice tone and clarity of wording is important to properly deliver the instructions. Some wording on APCO's childbirth guidecard is in bold typeface, which means this word should be emphasized and articulated clearly to the caller.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Childbirth PAIs are divided into three main sections: Labor; Imminent or Active Delivery; Complications; and Labor:Non-Imminent Delivery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Labor: Imminent or Active Delivery -- </b>follow these instructions when contractions are less than two minutes apart, the mother has a strong desire to push, the caller reports crowning of the baby's head, etc. Throughout the call, periodically encourage the caller or mother that help has been dispatched and that you will stay on the line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If the mother is in the bathroom, encourage her to stay off the toilet. Instruct the mother to lay flat on her back on a bed or the floor and to try to relax by taking slow, deep breaths through her mouth. Instruct the mother to remove her clothing below the waist and to bend her knees. (Keep in mind the environment the mother is in and try to ensure some amount of privacy is provided.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Continue by having the caller or a bystander place a clean towel under her buttocks and have additional towels ready, if available. Prepare the caller or birth assistant by letting them know what is going to happen:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The baby's head will deliver first, usually. Careful support of the head is required as he or she is delivered. Never pull on the baby, only support it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If leg, arm, buttocks or umbilical cord is presented first, you will need to refer to the complications section of the guidecard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If the umbilical cord is around the baby's neck, instruct the caller to carefully and gently slip the cord over the baby's head with their fingers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Let them know there may be some water and blood with the delivery and that this is normal. Excessive bleeding should be reported back to you.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The rest of the baby's body should deliver with the next few contractions. Make them aware this could happen quickly and be ready to continue to support the baby.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once the baby is delivered, instruct the caller to clean out the baby's mouth and nose with a clean, dry cloth to ensure a clear airway. Then have them wrap the baby in a warm, dry blanket or towel. Instruct them <i>not </i>to pull on or cut the umbilical cord. If the baby is not breathing or crying on its own, they should rub its back or gently slap the bottoms of the baby's feet to stimulate a response such as breathing and crying. If there is no response then you will need to go to the infant CPR guidecard for the appropriate PAIs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If all is well, tell the caller to keep the baby warm and place the baby between the mother's legs. This is lower than the placenta and mother's heart and will protect the baby's blood flow (the baby continues to receive blood flow from the mother when still connected to the placenta). The mother may want to lie on her left side and have the baby lay next to her. This is fine and helps to keep the baby below the mother's heart level and at or below the level of the placenta for proper blood flow. Contractions may again start up when the placenta is delivered. Again, this is normal and will also involve water and blood. Always keep the baby at the same level as the placenta.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The EMD now has two patients, monitoring both for normal breathing is important. If there is any excessive bleeding by the mother, have her lie on her left side and elevate her legs and feet slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Complications -- </b>as previously discussed, the instructions for complications are simply to encourage the mother to get up on all fours (hands and knees) and have her try to relax by taking slow, deep breaths. Be sure to instruct her <i>not </i>to push. Let the caller know that help is on the way and you are staying on the line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Non-Imminent Delivery </b>-- refer to this section of the guidecard if the caller does not indicate imminent birth (no crowning, contractions greater than five minutes apart, no urge to push, etc.). Instruct the caller to have the mother lie in a comfortable position of her left side. According to the online parenting resource KidsHealth, lying on one side eases stress on the mother's heart because it keeps the baby's weight from applying pressure to the large vein -- the inferior vena cava -- that carries blood back to the heart from the feet and legs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Some doctors specifically recommend that pregnant women sleep on their left side throughout pregnancy. Because the liver is on the right side of the abdomen, lying on your left side helps keep the uterus off that large organ. Sleeping on the left side also improves circulation to the heart and allows for the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus and kidneys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Tips for Caller & Patient Care</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Verbally indicating respect and exhibiting a calm, competent voice tone and demeanor is important on every 9-1-1 call, especially during a childbirth event. Always remember to treat the caller and mother the same way you would like to be treated if you were in similar circumstances. This seems to be universally understood, but you as the EMD need to actively make it happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">For the mother, this whole experience revolves around her. Create an environment that exhibits calm, action and confidence by encouraging the caller to communicate what is going on each step of the way. Always emphasize that your instructions are "to help the mother with the delivery," "to do this for the mother" and that you are there in support and will stay on the line until medical responders take over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The caller will need you to be patient and respectful, so speak articulately and clearly. The caller's emotions could be just about anywhere on the emotional spectrum, so be ready to adjust to their emotional presentation. You may need to be firm yet respectful, or you may just need to be direct by reading the PAIs directly from the card. You may need to use calming techniques (i.e., have them pause and take a deep breath or two to reboot), including using repetitive persistence to provide instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once the baby is born, work with the caller to help you monitor both the mother and the baby, periodically checking to make sure they are breathing normally, etc. Be a positive coach and tell them often they are doing a great job. Have the caller also tell the mother she is doing a great job. Keep the team energized with positive words and positive voice characteristics, and provide reassurance that help is on the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Childbirth events can be some of the most challenging yet satisfying calls the EMD may handle. Understanding the basic information on pregnancy and childbirth will help prepare the EMD to handle the call with confidence. The EMD role is central to a smooth handling of the 9-1-1 caller and managing the scene for the mother's and newborn's comfort and safety. Adherence to the childbirth guidecard protocols in combination with positive and professional caller interaction will help to bring the event to a proper conclusion and a new life into the world.</span></div>
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-90101039851681110612015-02-21T12:20:00.001-06:002015-02-21T12:20:38.059-06:00Everyone's a Customer: For Telecommunicators, Customer Service Doesn't End With the Caller<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, February 2015</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Written by Christina Dravis, RPL, communications center manager at Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response in Ithaca, NY. She previously dispatched in the San Francisco Bay Area for 21 years and trained NYPD on their new CAD system. Contact her at cdravis@tompkins-co.org.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the 1990s, fire departments across the country began changing how they did business thanks in part to Alan Brunacini, chief of the Phoenix Fire Department at the time. Brunacini brought to light that even though fire departments were basically doing a good job, they could do even better serving the public -- especially when it came to human relations. In his book <i>Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service, </i>Brunacini describes eight essential qualities when dealing with the public. While geared toward firefighters, these are valuable lessons for everyone involved in public safety, including telecommunicators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What follows are summaries of the customer service categories promoted by Brunacini, along with suggestions on how they can be adopted by telecommunicators. Even if a communications center doesn't have customer service standards or policies, telecommunicators can easily take steps to improve their own performance when dealing with customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Regard Everyone as a Customer</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some telecommunicators think their only customers are the citizens calling for assistance, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Everyone you come into contact with is, in fact, a customer. This includes police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel you dispatch to incidents, as well as fellow telecommunicators who work at your own center and at neighboring departments. Other employees within your jurisdiction that you make callouts to, such as the highway department or social service workers, are also your customers. Repair technicians and custodians working in your center are your customers. Even your supervisors and their bosses are your customers. By considering everyone you interact with as a customer, you will start to treat everyone equally and, hopefully, better than you did before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Deliver the Best Possible Service to Your Customers</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course you offer as much assistance as you can to callers, but do you offer the same to your field units? If units are responding to an incident, relay all pertinent location information to them so they don't have to check their mobile data terminal (MDT) or ask for clarification over the radio. Allow them to focus on their driving, it's the telecommunicator's job to multi-task, not theirs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Similarly, if emergency units are responding to incidents with suspect information, provide them with descriptions of vehicles and persons in case they encounter them while responding to the scene. Most computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems allow the agencies to flag people and residences for hazards or scene safety information, so don't forget to check for that information and share it with responding units.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Be present and focused on your CAD so you can perform status checks on officers conducting traffic stops or firefighters battling structure fires. Anticipate worst case scenarios and be ready to respond quickly to radio traffic if the worst case happens. Do your part to make sure all of your units stay safe and go home at the end of their shifts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Always Be Nice</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Treat everyone with respect, kindness, patience and consideration. I was taught by my first trainer to treat every caller as if they were a member of my family (specifically, as if they were my grandmother). Statistics have shown that most people only call 9-1-1 once in their lives, which is why it's really important to leave them with a positive impression. Even if someone calls with an obvious non-emergency, it may be an emergency to him or her. Don't criticize or lecture the caller. You can still educate them while being nice and respectful after taking the caller's information (unless your agency has a policy prohibiting non-emergency calls being accepted on emergency phone lines).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You should always strive to be pleasant and professional with field units also. Even if they come across the radio as snippy or sarcastic, they may be dealing with things you can't see. Maybe the police officer is juggling several radios while driving 100 mph and using his knees to steer. Perhaps the fire captain can't hear you over the loud engine idling next to her at a fire scene. Maybe the medic can't answer right away because eight family members of a patient currently receiving CPR are crying or screaming at him. If a unit comes across the radio screaming, hearing the calm and patient tone of the dispatcher may help the first responder on the other end of the radio not be so frantic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Always Attempt to Execute a Standard Problem-Solving Outcome</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just as fire departments did for years, telecommunicators often do nothing more than what is expected: provide assistance to citizens requesting help. But providing assistance is just the minimum you can do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In his book, Brunacini describes meeting a fire chief for the first time as a newly hired dispatcher. One of my previous fire chiefs had the following take on customer service in his department: "If a citizen calls and tells you they've been transferred from department to department, that phone call stops with you," the chief said. "Even if you aren't the person who can help them, I expect you to put them on hold or get their name and number, find out the information or who they need to speak to, and provide that information to the caller,"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I still follow his advice to this day, except I don't limit it to citizens. I always go out of my way to help everyone, even if it's another telecommunicator or field unit. New employees are especially thankful for your help and often end up paying it forward many times over the course of their careers/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Consider How You & Your Actions Look to Others</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anytime you are working, or donning the official or unofficial uniform of your center, you are the face of your center to everyone who sees you. Whether or not you are required to wear a uniform, it is important that you take pride in your appearance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some agencies I've worked for didn't allow us to wear T-shirts or faded polo shirts even if the chances of the public seeing us were low. The belief was that if you looked professional, you acted professionally. Never badmouth your agency or gossip about your coworkers. The old saying, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," applies even in public safety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some agencies have strict social media policies and don't allow employees to post anything work-related, while other centers don't but should. I used to cringe over some of the comments one dispatcher I knew made over social media -- calling citizens stupid for calling 9-1-1, or complaining about coworkers who called in sick or police officers she perceived as lazy. You never know who will have access to your comments, so it's best to always be professional or, better yet, not post anything at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Don't Disqualify the Customer with Your Qualifications</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just like you wouldn't blow off the same citizen who calls 9-1-1 every other day reporting the same medical ailment, you shouldn't blow off a police officer who spends all day conducting traffic stops or serving warrants. You know from experience that the caller never has a severe medical emergency, yet you go through your EMD questions and instructions every time because one day it may be an actual emergency. The same goes for that police officer. Even though he or she performs hundreds of traffic stops every year without incident, you should treat each and every one with the same importance, because one day the driver may be the armed parolee who doesn't want to go back to prison. Don't get complacent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Basic Organizational Behavior Must Become Customer-Centered</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Being customer-centered," according to Brunacini, "means that customer needs, perceptions and feelings begin to drive how the service delivery system looks and behaves." First responders "must possess a basic characteristic of liking people and an overriding inclination and desire to help those people." To accomplish this, agencies should focus on recruiting, training and supporting the right people who will want to continue helping others throughout their careers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Everyone is best served when individual first responders, ranging from calltakers and dispatchers to field units, perform as members of the same team with the common goal of providing superior customer service to the public, as well as to each other. Customer service is a two-way street. Just as telecommunicators should be nice, professional and helpful to first responders, first responders should also be courteous to their telecommunicators. A great place to start is to recognize each other during your annual appreciation weeks and holidays. At one of my previous centers, we used to fax holiday greetings to all of our agencies and neighboring dispatch centers, in addition to sending holiday cards with all of our signatures. Eventually, we started receiving greetings from some of them -- proving that customer service is contagious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Continually Improve Your Customer Service Performance</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even if you feel you already excel at customer service, there is always room for improvement. Attend a conference or seminar on customer service, or read a book (Brunacini's <i>Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service </i>is a great place to start).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The APCO Institute now offers a one-day "Customer Service in Public Safety Communications" course. Pay attention to what agencies around you are doing well and learn from them. Help define a standard within your own agency that everyone will follow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even though Brunacini retired from the Phoenix Fire Department years ago, his agency is still referenced in classes citing "best practices" all over the world because of its mission statement, which states:"Our members will prevent harm, survive, and be nice!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That's just, well, nice.</span></div>
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-7994358124898143232015-02-19T13:29:00.000-06:002015-02-19T13:29:12.583-06:00Combatting 9-1-1 Fraud: Spoofing, Swatting, Denial of Service and Other Cyber Attacks<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, February 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Randy Kaminsky, has more than 35 years in public safety and is currently the Communications and 9-1-1 Supervisor for the Bradley (IL) Police Department. He is a member of APCO's Editorial Advisory Committee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember back in the days of the rotary dial telephone and the mischief that a 10-year-old could get into given just the slightest latitude. Pick a number out of the phone book and call the unsuspecting victim just to ask, "Is your refrigerator running? Better catch it before it runs off!" Or there was always the popular call to place to a cigar shop: "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that age, I guess it was fun just having the ability to pull one over on an adult. Little did I know that some 40 years down the road, the prank calls would take a much more serious and sometimes sinister twist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The 'Bad' Technology</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The age of computer technology has brought about many positive innovations that give us the ability to communicate with almost anyone, at any location, via cellular, Internet and satellite services. But many have manipulated these services to perpetrate a multitude of crimes - from fraud to homicide. The list of worries posed in the digital age range from identity theft and credit card fraud to hacking secret documents of a corporation or government agency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the field of public safety communications, our primary concern is telephone fraud, and that is the focus of this article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Spoofing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spoofing" is the term used to describe the action of impersonating another person, company or agency over the Internet, specifically targeting email or telephone caller ID. This is accomplished by unverified Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services or through the use of what is known as a "spoof card." A spoof card, or unregistered VoIP, service allows the user to display any ANI/ALI location information the spoofer chooses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, if you were to use a spoof card to play a practical joke on a friend, you could list the name Barack Obama to be displayed as the caller ID, along with the general White House phone number. Many spoof cards will also allow you to disguise your voice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, spoofing has been frequently used in more serious applications to make false crime-in-progress reports, or as part of extortion schemes. The deception that seems to be most popular these days is to enter the name of a criminal justice agency to be displayed on caller ID, and then inform the person that he or she has disregarded a notice to report for jury duty and now a warrant has been issued for their arrest. They tell the victim that they can pay a fine over the phone and avoid arrest by purchasing a pre-paid credit card and providing them with the coded number in the scratch off area on the back of the card. Generally, the amount of the "fine" is $100-$200. Recently an elderly gentleman was bilked out of more than $5,000 by someone claiming to be from the IRS. The caller ID displayed "IRS," so he believed the caller and provided the funds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spoofing can also be used to draw police with a false 9-1-1 report to the farthest reaches of their jurisdiction while a major crime is in progress at another location in their town. And believe it or not, the spoof card industry has a lobbyist on Capitol Hill to fight any efforts to outlaw the cards and/or spoofing technology, claiming that misuse is an "isolated problem."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this reason, the Truth in Caller ID Act was passed in 2009 and became law Dec. 22, 2010. It prohibits any acts of fraud or harm in relation to spoofing of caller ID and prescribes severe monetary penalties for any violation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Denial of Service</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The term denial of service (DoS) or distributed denial of service (DDoS) describes the practice of an enterprise (typically criminal in nature) using spoofing technology along with a "robocall" service. That enterprise will then attempt to extort money from a business or, in bolder cases, a municipal or public safety agency by demanding payment for an unfounded debt. When refused, the robocall service will then repeatedly call main numbers or administrative lines with recorded messages. This blocks public access to phone lines and results in your phones "ringing off the hook" - an especially problematic situation when the target is a 9-1-1 center. Since these calls originate from questionable VoIP providers in most cases, tracking them down can be difficult at best. Some businesses and public agencies have given in to the demands just to have their phone service restored.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One solution that has been proposed is to block unverified or unregistered VoIP services so that the caller's physical location or IP address couldn't be disguised. Such regulation would have to apply to all domestic and international VoIP providers, with non-compliant services blocked completely in order to be truly effective. As of this article's publication, there is no movement toward any regulation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Swatting</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A phrase first coined by the FBI in 2008, "swatting" is the practice of reporting a serious crime in progress at a business or, often, a private residence. In most cases, it involves a report of a homicide, bomb or extortion attempt in the form of a ransom demand. The caller will make threats toward first responders to further dramatize their false report. Swatting calls can be received over 9-1-1 trunks or 7-digit emergency lines. With spoofing technology, the ANI/ALI information received would indicate that the call did originate from the address in question, but some swatting calls have been completed through relay services.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most frequent targets - and perpetrators - of swatting calls are online gamers. Most such gamers are computer technology savvy, so they find it easy to use spoofing technology. Those who have been caught have admitted wanting to extract a level of revenge on someone with whom they had argued or who had soundly defeated them on some online game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other swatters have victimized celebrities - Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, Chris Brown, Ryan Seacrest, Charlie Sheen, Clint Eastwood, and even Los Angeles County assistant prosecutor Patrick Frey, have all been targeted by swatting schemes. The real threat to the victims and to law enforcement officers is the confrontation at the residence or business. In one recent case, a home owner was at home with his family when he saw someone lurking in the bushes outside his home. He reached for his handgun and was about to walk outside when the police surrounding the home announced their presence. The person in the bushes was a SWAT team member attempting to observe and report what was going on inside the home. One minor action or turn of events and this swatting prank could have had a tragic, deadly outcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In January, a homeowner actually shot a police chief who entered his residence after a spoofed report was made that brought police to his address. Thankfully, the police chief was wearing a body armor vest. He was struck with three rounds: two in the vest and one in his arm. He was released after treatment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One major problem with swatting is that many public safety agencies fail to report incidents to federal authorities such as the FBI or FCC. Both agencies have the ability to track down those responsible and impose federal charges. The FBI has the ability to enforce a number of laws that can be used in prosecution, and the FCC can levy monetary fines and forfeiture of property for those who fail to pay. Reporting spoofing and swatting incidents also gives authorities the statistical data they need to track repeat offenders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All PSAPs should develop protocols to deal with swatting calls. Since the caller's real name and phone number are replaced with the victim's information, it is important to make contact with the number provided. If the person answering the phone has no idea what you're talking about, chances are it's a fraud. If the victim needs reassurance that you are indeed the local authorities, tell them to hang up and dial 9-1-1 so that they can be transferred to the same operator. If the police have already arrived at the victim's home or business, possible instructions would be to unlock all doors and proceed outside when instructed to do so, keeping their hands empty and in plain sight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What to Do</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If your agency is the victim of a DDoS, spoofing or swatting attack, use the protocols for handling such an incident (be sure to review these with law enforcement regularly). Public safety agencies can also take the lead in advising the public of such scams by reaching out to children and elderly through school and senior groups.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Report all DDoS, spoofing and swatting incidents to your local FBI field office and the FCC at 888-TELL-FCC (835-5322). For DDoS attacks, have extra unlisted phone lines (separate from any hunt groups in place) appearing on critical extensions and have a method in place for disseminating information to the public through local media so that people know to use those lines until the DDoS calls cease. Have a list prepared for services that contact you on 7-digit lines such as personal emergency response services, alarm companies, utilities, etc., so that you can inform them to use the alternate phone numbers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember: being prepared for a serious event will make it more manageable and usually less stressful to all involved.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-42864493698409445382015-02-14T12:14:00.001-06:002015-02-14T12:14:36.829-06:00Employee Engagement In The PSAP: Improving Retention Through Positive Work Environments<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, December 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by J.R. Martin, police communications shift manager for the Phoenix Police Department. He has worked in public safety communications for 15 years as a 9-1-1 operator, police dispatcher, communications training officer (CTO) and supervisor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A career in public safety communications can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Telecommunicators are positioned to make a difference in their communities, but sacrifice a traditional nine-to-five lifestyle for that privilege. They are stationed at a console, secluded from the outside world. They are too often denied monetary bonuses, commissions or stock options as an incentive to deliver high performance. Upward mobility can be stifled because they are civilians operating in a larger public safety organization and managed by sworn personnel. Nevertheless, the dedicated professionals working in public safety communications are willing to endure it all for a median pay of $36,300 per year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These occupational realities can have a cumulative effect on job satisfaction and enthusiasm for the nature of the work. To mitigate these effects, strong and effective leadership should be applied through positive employee engagement. Employee engagement is an enhanced connection between an employee, their work and the mission of the organization. Consider the benefits employee engagement has to offer:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged employees are two times as likely to stay in their jobs. This has a direct impact on turnover rates, training costs and reducing the loss of institutional knowledge.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged employees are two-and-a-half times more likely to feel like they can make a difference.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged employees produce higher levels of customer satisfaction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged employees are more productive.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An engaged workforce has fewer formal grievances.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Employee engagement is founded upon the development of positive working relationships. The manner in which you interact with your employees can mean the difference between fostering or damaging those relationships. The level to which you are interested in their successes or challenges can shape how trust, respect and communication are fostered. In this article, I will share eight leadership fundamentals designed to effectively engage your telecommunicators through positive relationship building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Be Nice</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An oft-cited quote from 19th century author Henry James states, "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." If errors are made, we want employees to positively acknowledge the error, take steps to fix it and not repeat it. If a 9-1-1 operator forgets to ask a crucial question during a medical call, or the dispatcher incorrectly states an officer's traffic stop location, take action - but be nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admonishing employees in front of their peers, speaking disparagingly about them to others or acting exasperated during a feedback session generates resentment and defensiveness. Employees may temporarily change their behavior, but only in spite of you. When you are nice, their defenses come down, lines of communication open and learning is cultivated out of respect for your approach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Exist to Build Up Your People</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be a pillar of support, not a wrecking ball. People are intrinsically motivated by positive reinforcement and recognition. Seeking out and reinforcing their good work will leave them with a sense of accomplishment and strengthen their respect and trust in your leadership.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the time, sincere acknowledgement for a job well done will yield a higher return on employee performance than financial compensation ever could. Take the time to send an encouraging message to that dispatcher who just worked a difficult call, even if their performance was not flawless. Let them listen to their performance later on and they will likely point out their own deficiencies and be much harder on themselves than you would be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Listen Vigorously</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Purposefully listen to your employees. Listening is essential to forming and sustaining relational bonds. Listening shows employees you value them and stimulates their problem-solving abilities. When your employees speak, information about their life emerges. They may show an interest in a hobby, discuss their volunteer work or show concern for an ill family member. You can use the information they share to engage them and bolster your working relationship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actively listening to complaints has its advantages also. If complaints stop coming in, one of three things has occurred: you have created an environment of fear, experience has taught your employees their complaints fall on deaf ears and will change nothing, or your PSAP is perfect - which is not possible. If complaints are ignored, morale can be brought down, setting the stage for a hostile or unproductive work environment. Use your listening skills to change the way you think about complaints; a complaint is an opportunity to effect change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Be Interested in Them</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged leaders continuously put their people's interests ahead of their own and utilize positive and personal interaction as a means to connect with employees. When you hire a new employee, take time to meet with them as soon as possible. Construct a welcoming meeting designed to extract meaningful insight into their experience and expectations, granting you deeper insight into their knowledge, skills and abilities. Your new employee may have a background in information technology, teaching or management. These skill sets can be leveraged if you allow them to be. Meeting in this manner also allows you to identify gaps in their experience or training which you can fill through individual development planning. Engaging them early in the relationship communicates that you are interested in their success and that they matter to you and the PSAP.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Consider the Root Cause</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes employees show a sudden or gradual change in behavior or performance. When these problems arise, avoid dealing with the symptom and take time to identify the cause. Every employee brings a unique life story, culture, value system, work ethic, education, religious belief and family dynamic. These factors can impact how they do their jobs. You can tell your telecommunicators to leave those influences at home, but that is not a realistic expectation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When armed with an awareness of your employee's root issues, you can see things from their perspective. Perspective can aid you in understanding why they do what they do, allowing you to formulate strategies to encourage a change in their behavior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Empower Them</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaged leaders create opportunities for their followers to flourish and develop without interfering with their ability to navigate toward a common goal. Empower your telecommunicators by offering them leadership and managerial opportunities that will assist them in developing the skills necessary to move up in the organization.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give your telecommunicators an additional duty and empower them to accomplish the job in a creative way. Loosen the reins and trust your employees enough to allow them to try new things. The level to which your employee will take risks and show initiative is based on what they saw happen to the last person who took a risk and showed initiative. When empowerment is done correctly, it can provide employees with a heightened sense of effectiveness, innovation and job satisfaction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Empowerment can also serve as a tool for employees to become less resistant to change because they become part of the decision making process. Empowerment develops leadership skills, which expands the depth of your PSAPs leadership pipeline by creating a larger pool of employees to draw from who can more seamlessly step into vacated leadership positions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Demonstrate the Standard</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Authentic leadership is reflected in how well a leader adheres to their own standards. People want to come to work and perform well for those who respect and follow the same rules to the same or higher standard they expect of others. Rank may have its privileges, but the extent to which those privileges are exercised must be met with some degree of discretion. Holding yourself to the same or higher standards than you hold your employees will prevent resentment borne out of a perceived double standard. Set the standard and live by it, and your telecommunicators will be similarly engaged in their work environment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Provide Purpose</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PSAPs need a common goal or vision that provides employees with a sense of direction. Research into the motivation of public sector workers has shown that public workers are attracted to public service because of the opportunity the work provides to make a difference. Making a difference is the very essence of what telecommunicators do every day. PSAPs commonly have a goal to achieve high standards of public service. With this knowledge, PSAP leaders can instill and maintain a sense of purpose in their telecommunicators. Reminding them of this noble goal will keep them on a consistent course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are not the private sector. We are not police officers, firefighters or EMTs. We are public safety communications professionals who possess our own unique set of challenges when it comes to leadership and employee engagement. Our unique circumstances oblige us to seek new and innovative methods to keep our telecommunicators wanting to come to work and perform their very best for the sake of the job itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking leadership seriously in our field will allow us to take charge of our own identities and contribute to the larger public safety organization we work for. Effective employee engagement is one aspect of leadership we can rely upon to keep our telecommunicators enthusiastic and satisfied in jobs that are critical to ensuring public safety.</span></div>
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-46615625387865062842014-12-11T09:38:00.001-06:002014-12-11T09:38:23.574-06:00Domestic Violence in America; How to Handle the Call & Recognize the Effects<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, November 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Written by Dorothy Cave, NREMT, EMD Program Manager at the APCO Institute</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our continuing dispatch education article this month is nothing short of a touchy subject. As telecommunicators, you may know someone who is a victim of domestic violence - that person may even be you and no one else knows, or you don't think they do. As a telecommunicator, you hear these calls way too often: you hear the screams, the crying children, the punches, the gun shots. How does this affect you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We should start this lesson by learning what domestic violence is. According to the website domesticviolence.org, "Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; living together, separated or dating." Why do you need to know what domestic violence is? It's important to know this information when asking questions and getting the answers. Just because you have a man and woman fighting in the street, that does not always mean you have a domestic violence situation. You have to be able to differentiate between a domestic violence call and a run-of-the-mill fight. Is that always possible? No, it's not; so if you cannot come to an educated conclusion, make sure you follow your policies and procedures.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Who Does Domestic Violence Happen To?</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Domestic violence happens to people of every race, gender, economic status, religion, educational background and age. It does not discriminate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For example in recent news, Ray Rice, NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens, was initially only suspended for two games. This came after being filmed dragging his then-fiance, now-wife, from an elevator after knocking her unconscious. The NFL has since changed its stance on domestic violence following the arrest of another player, the San Francisco 49er's Ray McDonald, who was suspected of domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend. The league's disciplinary action against domestic violence offenders now is a six game suspension for the first offense, and the second offense results in being banned for life. As of Sept. 8, 2014, Ray Rice was cut from the Ravens and banned from the NFL; this came after the entire video from the elevator was released showing the punch that was thrown by Rice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Celebrities from every type of entertainment have been arrested on domestic violence charges; actors, racecar drivers, even Yanni, the king of elevator music! Women can also be arrested for domestic violence. Since just about anyone may be a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence, this leads us to our own back yard: emergency responders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In 2007, we as an industry watched the disappearance of Georgia telecommunicator Theresa Parker play out in the news, only to find out that she had been murdered by her estranged husband, a sergeant with the same department she dispatched for, who killed her and disposed of her body. He was ultimately found guilty or murder and sentenced to life in prison. There were at least three domestic violence reports between the couple before her death.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why Does Domestic Violence Happen?</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After reading the previous paragraph we understand that domestic violence happens, now let's examine why it happens. According to the National Coalition Agains Domestic Violence (NCADV), there are several reasons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Statistics show that one of the strongest risk factors for children to continue the pattern of domestic violence is to witness violence between parents, caretakers, grandparents, etc. Men who witness violence are twice as likely to abuse their partners. Women who witness violence are more likely to become victims, presumably because this is normal to them. Once adults, 30-60% of domestic violence offenders will also abuse children in their own household.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Domestic violence is frequently associated with sexual assault. One in six women have experienced an attempted or completed rape at the hands of a domestic violence offender. That's nearly 7.8 million women who have been raped by an intimate partner. Sexual assault and/or forced sexual encounters against women and men happen in 40-45% of domestic violence relationships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now let's talk about the men who are the victims in domestic violence relationships. As telecommunicators, we don't really think of them as being the victim, but one in 33 men have experienced attempted or completed rape. How do we handle the calls for service when it's a man calling? You handle all calls the same way, male or female. Show empathy to the situation, express concern and project a desire to help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stalking is another contributing factor to domestic violence. One in 12 women and one in 45 men have been stalked. Additionally, 81% of women who are or have been stalked as a result of a domestic violence relationship were also physically assaulted at the hands of the domestic violence offender; 31% of these women were sexually assaulted during the stalking phase.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When domestic violence goes too far, as was the case with Theresa Parker, homicide is often the result and the statistics are astounding. One-third of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. Yet less than one-fifth of injured victims of domestic violence sought medical assistance. Why do you think that is? Fear? Embarrassment? Manipulation?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Aside from the physical consequences of domestic violence, there's also a psychological aspect. In the U.S. alone there are more than 18.5 million mental health care visits due to domestic violence. This brings us to the monetary impact domestic violence has on society and the economy. Statistics state that domestic violence victims lost nearly 8 million days of paid work due to injuries, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs. Between homicides and treated injuries, the cost annually for domestic violence is $37 billion. How much higher would that number be if all injuries were reported and treated?</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Myth vs. Reality</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now that we have revealed information about who is affected and the cost, we can learn about some myths and facts of domestic violence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong> Myth #1: </strong>Anyone can leave if the situation is too bad. Many telecommunicators, maybe even you, have said, "Just leave."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong> Fact: </strong>The fact is that leaving is not always easy to do. There are financial reasons, love, or perhaps the victim has tried before and it went very poorly.</span><br />
<strong>Myth #2: </strong>Domestic violence only happens to poor, uneducated and minority families.<br />
<strong>Fact: </strong>As discussed earlier, domestic abusers can be football players, actors, sergeants and so on.<br />
There are so many more myths and truths about domestic violence we could go on for pages, but we need to talk about you, the telecommunicator. How does domestic violence affect you?<br />
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<strong>Effects on Telecommunicators</strong><br />
In a medical paper titled <em>Emergency Responder Exhaustion Syndrome</em>, the authors conclude that dispatchers "normalize reactions to acute and chronic stress." There are several reasons for this behavior in comm centers across the country, including peer pressure stating you should not get too close to the caller and the daily occurrence of this type of call.<br />
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How many times have you heard a communications training officer tell trainees to grow thicker skin? Most telecommunicators have been trained to not take calls personally, but we all know there are times when this is easier said than done. Knowing that the telecommunicators' job is stressful and unpredictable, we must develop the emotional resources to help cope with calls and situations.<br />
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Those who don't have an adequate coping mechanism can show signs of stress such as emotional detachment, alcohol or drug abuse, ulcers, cynicism, absenteeism, marital problems and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). How do you know if you may be developing PTSD? Some of the symptoms are nightmares about the incident, difficulty concentrating and emotional instability. How can you combat this disease? Talk to someone about the calls that bother you, especially if you feel any of the PTSD symptoms or have feelings of suicide because you no longer feel you can cope or feel you are in some way responsible for the victim's death. <em>Remember; </em>You are not responsible.<br />
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As 9-1-1 telecommunicators, you must abide by your policies and procedures when handling domestic violence calls. Trainers should specifically teach trainees to handle this type of call. For example, everyone should know what to do with the call if the victim calls in and the offender picks up the phone. How do you handle it if they ask who you are? That all starts at the beginning when you realize what kind of call you have.<br />
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This article is written to show telecommunicators what domestic violence is, how it can affect you and how to handle the calls when you receive them. We spoke about those who call during the domestic violence, but this also goes for you, the telecommunicator. If you or someone you love is in this type of relationship, please get out and get help.<br />
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<strong>Handling the Call</strong><br />
We're reviewed statistics and examples of celebrities, first responders and the general public who have been involved with domestic violence. Now let's dive into what the 9-1-1 calls are like, how to recognize them and how you should handle them.<br />
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Take for example the August 2014 suspension of a dispatcher in St. Louis who was suspended without pay after entering a mistaken address into the CAD system - a mistake that led officers blocks away from where two people were shot and killed. According to police, a woman was with a male friend inside her apartment when her boyfriend arrived. The boyfriend assaulted the woman, but a groundskeeper for the apartment building intervened, and the boyfriend left. Someone dialed 9-1-1 and spoke to the telecommunicator, who entered a wrong address. Officers were dispatched, and while they were investigating at the other location, the boyfriend returned and fatally shot the woman and male friend. In a statement, the St. Louis police chief later said, "The department expects precision and diligence when answering <span style="font-family: Arial;">and dispatching 9-1-1 calls, and any accusations of employee misconduct are taken very seriously."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This incident identifies one key area on any call for service: The need to verify the location of the emergency. It also brings to the forefront the importance of having specific policies and procedures in place for different types of calls received.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's consider another scenario: You are the calltaker on duty and receive a call from a woman who starts with this sentence: "Hey girl, when are we supposed to get together?" Most calltakers would again state the agency name and inform the caller they are calling 9-1-1. In return the caller says, "I know that but I think I forgot our lunch date!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At this point the calltaker should understand that they are now in the midst of role playing with the caller. First thing's first: You have to ensure you have the correct location to send responders. Next, find out who you are supposed to be in this scenario. Why do you need that information? Because the offender could grab the phone from the victim and ask who you are. If you say one thing and the victim says another, this could accelerate the violence for the victim. As the calltaker, you have to continue with the role playing until help arrives for the victim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One important factor to keep in mind is that even if the victim calls for help, they may not be ready to get out of the abusive relationship. This can be an especially confusing scenario, so let's clarify further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a telecommunicator, you should take it upon yourself to talk to some of your first responders. Ask about situations when they respond to a frantic victim calling, but then clear up with no report and no arrest. There will be incidents in which the abuser is the breadwinner in the house. Most victims are "taught" to believe they are not worthy or smart enough to hold a job; they may be convinced that no one cares if they are abused. They may be totally dependent on the abuser, or feel they can't leave because they don't have the financial means.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Conclusion</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are several difficult factors to understand when taking these types of calls. First, always follow your policies and procedures. Second, if you feel you are having trouble coping with the calls in the comm center, seek help and talk to someone. PTSD is not just for field responders. Third, if you or someone you love is in this type of situation, please get help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you or a loved one is involved in any type of a domestic violence relationship, contact your local authorities or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-1233, or 1-800-787-3224(TTY)24/7.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-50823516502018163322014-09-17T09:33:00.001-05:002014-09-17T09:33:26.344-05:00The Reminder: "The Golden Rule"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from blog by author on LinkedIn, Sept. 16, 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Written by Steve VanDyk, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and Public Safety Expert</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm often asked if I miss the "action" of the job. I'm referring to the adrenaline rush you get when your direct involvement makes a difference by helping someone, or saving a life. Maybe it's the speed in which you ask your questions and enter the call to be dispatched. Maybe it's the speed in which you co-ordinate your emergency responders. Whatever the reason is - I know we all agree that the rush of adrenaline is a pretty cool feeling. That's one thing we all have in common - whether you work for Police, Fire or EMS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The job of a 9-1-1 dispatcher - for the most part - is comprised of hours of boredom filled with spikes of adrenaline. Consider for a moment - the person on the other end of the line. You're not the only one that has that rush of adrenaline. Most people don't make a habit of calling 9-1-1. The majority of people that call 9-1-1 do it when they are going through a traumatic life event. Adrenaline affects everyone differently; it's known to affect your breathing, your vision and most definitely, your memory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How often do you get frustrated with the public? Have you ever had a caller report they were held up at gunpoint but unable to give a description? Have you ever had a caller who was just so hysterical - they were unable to provide their location?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Put yourself in their shoes and consider the stress that they are under. Someone just pointed a gun in their face. A family member or other loved one is missing - or maybe injured. We need to expect that it may take a little longer to get the information we require.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A few years ago - I taught a new hire class: "Call Taking 101." I was reminding the class about how to speak to the public - but also how to take a proper description. You know this: gender, race, age, height, weight, followed by description head to toe. On this particular day I had a co-worker whom the class never met, interrupt my class. It was staged. He came into my classroom and handed me a blank note. I thanked him and proceeded to introduce him to everyone. We made some brief small talk and he then excused himself and left the room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I reviewed the information with the class one more time and then told them they were going to do a little exercise. I asked them all to take a few minutes and to independently write down a description of my friend that had just left - in the format they just learned. After a few minutes I asked them to put their pens down and handed out a picture that I had taken of my friend earlier in the day and asked them to read back their descriptions one at a time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The result: Four drastically different descriptions of the same person.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">None of them were under any stress at the time. None of them had a gun or a knife being pulled on them. The room went quiet. They gave me the deer-in-the-headlight look. Point made.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How patient are you with the public? How would you expect to be treated if you ever had to call 9-1-1? Do you remember being taught the golden rule as a child? I do. A more modern translation today would be something like this: "treat others the way you would want to be treated." This would apply to every call we answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let me leave you with this:</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"It is your job to control the situation - it is your job to be calm for those that can't be."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Take pride in what you do. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This isn't a new concept - but you already know that - you just needed a reminder.</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-24337243772365012322014-09-16T12:20:00.003-05:002014-09-16T12:20:52.042-05:00Be the Best You Can Be: Preparing to Move Up the Ladder<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Written by Crystal McDuffie, RPL, ENP, Communications Center & 9-1-1 Services Manager for APCO International. She has more than 18 years of public safety communications experience, in addition to serving as an EMT-Paramedic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Whoever you are, whatever position you hold, you should always strive to be the best. As anyone in public safety is aware, there are several different roles within an emergency communications center. Many roles carry multiple responsibilities and almost all of them require working together as a team while exceling as an individual.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's begin with the role of telecommunicator. Do you know what the minimum training entails? What core competencies should you have to be successful? It really isn't just being able to answer the phone, or dispatching a unit; there's far more to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then there's the role of the communications training officer (CTO). It's not merely passing along what you know or demonstrating how to complete a task. There are other questions, especially when it comes to evaluations: When should you do them? How often? How do you ensure you are both fair and consistent?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Does your agency hold initial (basic) training or in-service topics? Those instructors need to meet specific training requirements to ensure their delivery of the course is successful. Does the instructor understand the adult learning principles? What method works the best for training adults?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moving on to quality assurance evaluators (QAE), that's another set of training and competencies necessary to evaluate a comm center's quality of service. Does that person understand how to deliver constructive feedback and when necessary? What about recommending remedial training?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Supervisors and managers are no longer promoted based on the fact that they have been there the longest or are a really good telecommunciator. While it's great to be strong operationally, there are other facets of the job that need to be mastered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So how does one find the answers to all these questions? APCO International provides members of the emergency communications profession with core competencies and minimum training requirements, along with the skills and knowledge necessary for each of the positions I've mentioned. Each of the applicable APCO standards specifies in detail the information that each of these roles need to know to successfully perform in their position.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's look specifically at the standards for supervisor and manager/director. Beyond operations, we must ensure that we follow all applicable state and federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Labor Acts, just to name a couple. What about that budget? Money really doesn't grow on trees and every dollar spent has to be planned and accounted for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another aspect is communicating effectively with other agencies, organizations or resources that are utilized in ensuring you deliver a quality service. That quality of service must then be maintained and evaluated. Let's not forget about training: training of new hires, continuing education, remedial training, and on and on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The leadership qualities and training of supervisors and managers affect many aspects of the communications center. There are many tasks that must be completed, from budgets to scheduling, from training to resolving conflicts between staff. Management plays an important role in employee hiring and retention. If the supervisor or manager does not do a good job as a leader, retention will suffer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How do you prepare yourself for the responsibility of being a supervisor or manager? What classes will you take to prepare yourself for these roles?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Standards such as APCO ANS (American National Standard) 3.102.1-2012 Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Supervisor, and 3.109.2-2014 Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Manager/Director have established specific competencies and skills that are needed for leadership roles in communications. These standards are intended to provide a consistent foundation of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to fulfill the critical leadership function.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the popular leadership book by John C. Maxwell, <em>The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, </em>quality number ten is "Initiative." Similarly, Conrad Hilton, has been quoted as saying, "Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." To keep moving is the key, whether you're enhancing your readiness for a promotion or simply striving to be the best that you can be in your current position.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The environment of public safety communications is ever-changing and evolving; technology is moving at a speed that makes it difficult to keep up. It is imperative that, in any role, we maintain and improve our own knowledge and skills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moving ahead in your career is an admirable step to consider. APCO International provides a number of standards and resources to help you prepare. Becoming familiar with these standards, and learning the requirements and attributes of successful leaders in this profession will help you answer the fundamental question we must all ask ourselves as we advance in our career: Are you ready?</span>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-14993575117137501092014-09-15T08:44:00.000-05:002014-09-15T08:44:25.509-05:00Negative Retention: Pattern of Complaints Spells Trouble for Comm Center<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Co-Written by Linda "Lin" Ford, APCO Life Member and a member of the North Carolina, Texas and Mid-Eastern Chapters. She is a retired telecommunicator from Greensboro, N.C. and has been involved in public safety communications for more than 30 years. She is a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee and a past APCO historian. Co-written by T.G. Mieure, who is also an APCO Life Member and a member of the Illinois Chapter. He has been involved in public safety communications for more than 40 years and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our case study this month is actually a combination of several incidents that came together resulting in the loss of life, a disclosure of major problems in a 9-1-1 center and the loss of two jobs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The initial spark that began the fire-storm was a call for help from complainant Kristine Kirk to Denver Police Department 9-1-1, stating that her husband had eaten marijuana candy, started hallucinating and was asking her to get a gun and shoot him. The calltaker entered the call for dispatch at 9:31. The police dispatcher (a different person) then broadcast over the police radio the information: "332 Adam. 2112 South St. Paul Street on a report of a domestic violence in progress. RP versus her husband who's been smoking marijuana."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Around the same time, the calltaker who was still speaking with Kristine Kirk wrote: "Weapon in house--handgun."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">By now the dispatcher has sent an officer on what was believed to be a routine welfare check. At first there is no sense of urgency. "Be advised they do have a handgun in the house, but it's not in anybody's possession," the dispatcher said over the radio. Five minutes later, at 9:36, the calltaker noted: "Husband talking about end of world/life."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's clear from the records that the caller was scared by this time. The calltaker even noted, "The children in room with door closed." Then at 9:43, the calltaker wrote that Richard Kirk, the husband and suspect in the shooting, was in the safe getting the gun. The calltaker also noted that they heard the wife screaming.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A minute later, at 9:44 p.m., there is nothing heard and the phone line is open.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The investigation that followed debated whether proper procedure was followed -- looking at why the dispatcher never aired over the radio what she was reading from the calltaker on the call screen. On one of the radio reports, you can hear the first officer on-scene at 9:45 learning about what happened by reading the computer screen in his patrol car.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Officer: "332 Adam."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dispatcher: "332 Adam go ahead."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Officer: "Yeah, according to the notes he grabbed the gun and she's screaming and the line disconnected. Can you speed up cover?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">By this time the officer was two minutes too late. Police say Richard Kirk had already shot his wife in the head when they arrived, and that he admitted to pulling the trigger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The question remains if officers had rushed to the scene as the situation escalated, would they have been able to prevent Kristine Kirk's death? The dispatcher resigned under threat of being fired for failing to give verbal updates on the serious remarks from the calltaker and instead just letting the notes go to the mobile unit, which had apparently been reported to have a problem.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a direct result of this tragic incident, the investigation revealed that 60 previous complaints had been filed against the agency on various charges. The one most germane to this article involved a second dispatcher and not one but two homicides in which critical errors were made and never corrected or punished -- thus resulting in negligent retention of an employee and a massive lawsuit.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">ANOTHER SHOOTING DEATH</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On April 1, 2012, Denver 9-1-1 telecommunicator Juan Jesus Rodriquez answered a frantic call from Ran Pal. He said a group of men driving a Jeep Cherokee threw a beer bottle through the back window of his car and began yelling racial slurs. Pal also told Rodriquez he thought the men had a gun.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The call transcript details that the victims were scared and in shock, but were able to get to an apartment complex in Wheat Ridge, seven blocks outside of Denver city limits.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Yeah that's going to be...outside of Denver. I need you to come back into Denver so we can take a report," Rodriquez told Pal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pal asked Rodriquez several times if an officer could come to the apartment because he was trying to recover from the attack, but the calltaker insisted that Pal go back into Denver to file a police report. The investigation later revealed that Rodriquez could have sent a Denver officer to the apartment location outside of city limits.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The caller followed instructions, returned to Denver and waited at the intersection of West 29th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard with his hazard lights on . The suspects in the Jeep returned before police could arrive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After yelling "they're back, they're back," Pal told Rodriquez that his brother, Jimma Reat, was down. "They hit Jimma," Pal said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One minute after Reet was shot, Rodriquez dispatched an officer for the first time, more than 12 minutes after Pal called 9-1-1.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rodriquez's 20-page termination letter said the telecommuicator failed to "decipher the situation" and despite the fact that the "caller stated six separate times that he was injured, in shock and didn't want to drive and needed time to recover," he still insisted the men return to Denver. Rodriquez "showed a blatant disregard for the caller's health in your quest to have the caller return to the city of Denver," the termination letter states.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">His termination also uncovered another complaint against Rodriquez in which he handled a call from a teenager who said he just killed his mother's boyfriend. That call took place a little more than a month before Reat was shot and killed.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">CALL ERROR, FEB. 29, 2012</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The 9-1-1 call that spurred the first complaint against Rodriquez started with a juvenile caller admitting to have killed a man. "He started to get aggressive and he forced my mom on the floor and I choked him out, but I don't know how long I choked him out for; I think I killed him," the caller told Rodriquez.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Instead of sending help, Rodriquez spent more than five minutes trying to get an exact address for the apartment building where the incident happened. The 9-1-1 call recording shows that within 60 seconds there was enough information to dispatch help to an area indicated by the call screen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rodriquez asked the teenager to go outside to find the exact address of the apartment where he was located. When the teen followed the instructions, the door locked behind him. "I have to hop the fence because I'm locked out," he clearly says on the call. After hopping the fence, the caller is asked to perform CPR on the man.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Can you get close to him?" Rodriquez asked. "No, I told you I choked him out," the teen responded.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This incident was also detailed in Rodriquez's termination letter from the comm center. "At no point during the conversation did you actively listen to what the caller had to say or appear to understand that a homicide had ocurred." It also said he "harangued" the caller with questions and had no appreciation for the caller's environment.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">An investigation led by FOX31 Denver found that in the verbal reprimand for this call, Rodriquez's supervisor discussed scene safety, but allowed Rodriquez to return to work without any retraining."</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">CONCLUSION</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These horror stories are real folks, as sad as it is to say. It makes one stop and wonder how it happens with all of the training that is available, both for dispatchers and for supervisors. Is the workload too great, the stress too high, the dedication and basic desire to serve and help people somehow slipping away in our busy world? Accidents will always happen -- that is the way of the world, but with stories like the ones in this article that are preventable, surely the extra step of caution and attention is worth the effort.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-11543815965912829742014-08-27T13:41:00.000-05:002014-08-27T13:41:16.373-05:00One In A Thousand Is One Too Many<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Taken from post on LinkedIn 8/22/14. Written by Steve VanDyk, RPL, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and Public Safety Expert in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.<br />
<br />
Mr. VanDyk has over 18 years of experience in Public Safety. He is the Owner of Ultimate 9-1-1, a business he started in 2010 that has a primary focus of providing more training opportunities and better training for call takers and dispatchers in public safety.<br />
<br />
Check out these websites for more information: <a href="mailto:info@ultimate911.ca">info@ultimate911.ca</a> or <a href="http://www.ultimate911.ca/">www.ultimate911.ca</a>.<br />
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<br />
How long have you been wearing your headset? When you look back on your career, what do you remember? Do you remember your first day? Do you remember how awkward it felt the first time you put on your headset?<br />
<br />
What else do you remember about your first few days, weeks or months? Do you remember feeling nervous? Do you remember how dark the room was or how hot/cold it was? Do you remember how uncomfortable the chairs were? In light of all the changes with CAD systems, Next Generation 9-1-1, and technology in general, isn't it nice to know that some things will never change!<br />
<br />
Now take a moment and think back to a particular call that you took where <strong>you </strong>had a direct impact on the caller or the outcome of a call. Pause. Then pause some more.<br />
<br />
What did you feel?<br />
<br />
My guess is pride - in a job well done. Maybe it was a solo effort or maybe a combined one with your fellow dispatchers and officers. Whatever it was, you should celebrate those good times whenever you are able - and share the stories with as many people as you possibly can.<br />
<br />
Same call - think some more. What was it that made your call so memorable?<br />
<br />
Successful calls don't happen on their own. It involves you, maybe a few others - or maybe an entire team - having the right attitude and outlook. It involves extreme focus. It involves intentional choices.<br />
<br />
There have been far too many stories in the news recently highlighting dispatcher errors. The examples that come to mind quickly are ones where vital information was not given to officers, or the location was not verified with the caller, resulting in emergency personnel being sent to wrong locations.<br />
<br />
Recently on Facebook I came across a post regarding a story in Colorado. A dispatcher weighed in and said:<br />
<br />
<strong>"Dispatchers are human and mistakes happen. They only get recognized for the 1 in 1000 screw ups they make."</strong><br />
<br />
The question begs to be asked: If that 1 in 1000 was someone close and dear to you, would it still be acceptable? When did we start rationalizing a margin for error?<br />
<br />
You have the awesome responsibility to get it right 100% of the time without blame - no excuses. It's what the public expects - what they have a right to expect when they call 9-1-1. It's what you, yourself, would expect if you ever called 9-1-1 for a loved one in an emergency.<br />
<br />
You have the awesome ability to make a difference every day - but it will never happen on it's own. It's a choice. It's a conscious decision. You are responsible for your results - regardless of challenges, bad days, or difficult callers. It's a huge responsibility - but it's a responsibility you took on and knew full well the first day you put on that headset.<br />
<br />
Take a moment and consider the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>When you're call taking - before you answer that call - are you prepared for whatever it is you're about to hear on the other end of that line, or are you still thinking about that conversation you were having with your coworkers.</li>
</ul>
Things happen fast - callers blurt out or yell out things quick and may only be able to provide you with that information once. Are you ready? <strong>Are you focused? </strong>Missing that small but vital piece of information could be the difference between someone living or dying.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When you're dispatching - and you're discussing your weekend with your co-workers and an officer goes on a traffic stop. Do you acknowledge the officer and their location and then go back to your conversation - or do you still take that extra time to consider the location they are at and which officers you might send should something go wrong?</li>
</ul>
Things happen fast - the driver of the vehicle pulls a gun and shots are fired - your officer is down. Are you ready? <strong>Are you focused? </strong>The time it takes for you to re-group after hearing that emerg go off or hearing the officer scream for help, could be the difference between them living or dying.<br />
<br />
The list can go on and the scenarios are endless. No one errs intentionally. I don't think I'm better than you and I don't write this to judge anyone. I write this as a reminder. I want you all to sleep soundly and make it to your retirement with a clear conscience and no regrets.<br />
<br />
Are you proud of the job you do? Do you still love your job? I didn't ask if you liked it ... or if you grin and bear it. I asked if you loved it - the way you did years ago when you first started.<br />
<br />
Let me leave you with this:<br />
<br />
<strong>"<em>The difference between who you are and who you want to be - is what you do."</em></strong><br />
<br />
Take pride in what you do. Choose to care. This is the best job in the world - but you already know that. You just needed a reminder.<br />
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-13819502887766418312014-07-10T08:42:00.001-05:002014-07-10T08:42:57.184-05:00Mourning Our Fallen Comrades With The Black Band<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the span of eight days, the state of Indiana lost three law enforcement officers in the line of duty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tipton County Deputy Jacob Calvin was killed in a single vehicle crash on June 28th, Indianapolis Officer Perry Renn was killed during a shootout with a suspet on July 5th, and Gary Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield was killed during an ambush while he sat in his cruiser on July 6th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In response to the tragedies, Indianapolis Police Officer Jeff Webb wrote a poem lamenting the loss of his comrades as departments across the state come to grips with the tragic loss of all three men.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Below is the poem in its entirety.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">I'm sick of putting this band on my badge</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Of seeing another brother fall.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Of seeing another sister laid out</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Upon an alter before us all.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Of seeing another family sit,</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">While they receive a folded flag.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And know of the crushing loss they feel,</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">As you can see their shoulders sag.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Then I remember what this band means,</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Recalling the fallen who've gone before.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Who gave everything they had,</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">To honor the badges that they wore.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">By protecting the public from evil that lurks</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">In the dark recesses of society's mind,</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">By being the last bastion of defense.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">By being the honored thin blue line.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Written by Officer Jeffrey P. Webb</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">July 7, 2014</span><br />
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-83480568558927742252014-06-06T10:09:00.000-05:002014-06-06T10:09:33.244-05:00Officer Down: Dealing with Trauma in Law Enforcement Communications<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, November 2008</span><br />
Written by Alicia Ihnken, training course instructor for the APCO Institute.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Shots fired! ... He's got an axe! ... I've been hit!</em><br />
<br />
Whenever responders are called to duty, there's a chance they may be injured or killed and not make it home to loved ones. The effects on family are obvious. The effects on the telecommunicator may be a little harder to understand, but are equally real. It doesn't matter what size your agency is or how busy it is, a line-of-duty tragedy is always possible. And when something happens to one of your own - whether your department is close-knit or you wouldn't recognize your shift on your day off - a floodgate of questions, worry and heartache will open.<br />
<br />
<strong>SCENARIO 1</strong><br />
A telecommunicator in Florida tells the following story: "Aug. 13, 2005, I went into work feeling like something awful was going to happen. I could not shake this terrible cold feeling that seemed to have overtaken me...Just before midnight, one of the dispatchers took a call and put it in as a robbery in progress. I was working the fire channel and watched in horror as a K-9 officer and his partner's tracking device stopped working. I just stared at the car's icon on the computer map not moving. Within seconds another dispatcher took a call from a passer-by stating that a pickup truck had pulled in front of a police car and the police car had flipped. The dispatcher only had to say, "WHAT?!", and I knew it was my friend the K-9 officer, because I was fixated on his vehicle tracking device not moving at all.<br />
<br />
"While sending out the fire units and notifying the ambulance service, I felt my head pounding so hard that I could hardly speak. All of the city's officers were responding with lights and siren to the accident scene along with the fire units and a battalion chief. I heard the fire chief call over the radio to send out a page to all fire administration regarding the death of an officer. I could barely type in the page; I thought I had lost one of my best friends in the world.<br />
<br />
"One of the lieutenants from the fire truck sent me an instant message asking me if I was doing all right. She could tell by my voice that I was not handling this situation well. We heard on the police radio the awful scream from the officer's wife and that's when each and every one of us lost it.<br />
<br />
"Everyone was crying and in a state of shock that this could happen on our shift. All of a sudden, the director and office manager were in the communications center, but they were simply going through the motions, just like the rest of us were trying to do. The victim advocate was called in and spoke to each of us, and the day shift was called in early to relieve us. As the day shift came in, one by one all the night dispatchers were sent home early, but only after speaking with the victim advocate.<br />
<br />
"I was the last one to see the advocate, one of the most painful experiences I've had in 16 years of dispatching. I told her about the awful feeling of loss I'd had all day long and that I'd really wanted to call in sick because I just felt so out of sorts.<br />
<br />
"After I left the communications center, I stopped at the nearest open convenience store and bought my first pack of cigarettes in 10 years and proceeded to smoke the whole pack. I bought another on my way to work on Sunday. Not one of the dispatchers on my squad slept that whole day, and we came in looking like zombies. When we all sat down you could hear a pin drop. No one said a word. It was apparent that all of our lives had changed the night before.<br />
<br />
"Aug. 13, 2005, is a day that I will never forget, and I still cannot bring myself to leave the house on that day. I still do not have closure, and every Aug. 13, I go onto the Officer Down Memorial Page and reflect on my feelings about that wonderful officer, which seems to make me feel a little better. There is no way that I can explain my feelings. You always think police officers and firefighters are invincible, and when something like this happens, reality steps in and shakes your whole world."<br />
<br />
The telecommunicator who shared this story with <em>Public Safety Communications (PSC)</em> eventually left dispatching.<br />
<br />
<strong>SCENARIO 2</strong><br />
<em>An officer's story: </em>August 2001, approximately 0130 HRS: It was a quiet night in a three-square-mile city of 17,000 residents. The quiet would be shattered by the crash and near death of a rookie police officer with less than six months on the job. This is my account of that night.<br />
<br />
"The city I worked for hired trainees as part-time officers, meaning they could work only 32 hours per week. When field training officers were assigned a new hire, we kept them with us until they had completed a minimum of 300 hours of training. That was a long time to have someone riding in your car, and you either liked them a lot or really didn't like them.<br />
<br />
"'Scott' was my trainee, and because we were close in age, we became close friends. August 2001 would challenge our friendship, make me question my ability to serve as a training officer and my techniques and knowledge, and make me realize just how quickly things can go from <em>normal </em>to really bad.<br />
<br />
"We were working midnight shift. A corporal was running our shift, I was the senior officer, and we had two newly released officers, one of whom was my latest trainee and friend, Scott. Around 0130 HRS, the corporal and I were on the opposite side of the city meeting with each other, when Scott reported that he was trying to stop a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. Within what seemed like seconds, the other new officer was in position trying to help Scott get the car stopped. Mere seconds after that, the other new officer reported a patrol car crash and requested fire rescue. The corporal and I responded.<br />
<br />
"I was the second person on scene, and thinking back now, it seems that despite the horror before my eyes, I simply reacted to the crisis upon arrival. I observed my friend's patrol car off the roadway, basically destroyed. I noticed flames coming from the underside of the car, grabbed my fire extinguisher and put the fire our. When Scott saw me, he immediately began screaming for me to help him. He couldn't breathe, and he was begging me to get him out of the car. I tried to comfort him and told him help was on the way. It took firefighters 45 minutes to extricate him and begin transport to the hospital.<br />
<br />
"Standing on scene, the thought crossed my mind that this crash was my fault. I had failed Scott as a training officer and as his friend. There had to be something I could have done, could have said, that would have made this different. How many times had I done the exact same thing, driven at high speed to catch up with someone who was speeding? How many times could I have ended up just like Scott or worse? Why didn't I tell him that it just wasn't worth it? I blamed myself.<br />
<br />
"Scott suffered career-ending injuries. He broke his neck, shattered his left arm and leg, broke his pelvis and punctured a lung. Over time, he healed as much as could be expected, even more than some expected. Today, he is mobile, and he can do most things without assistance. But he constantly feels pain and will never regain the strength or stamina he had before. He will never be a police officer again, but he is alive, and that's what truly matters.<br />
<br />
"After Scott's crash, I sank into a kind of depression. I couldn't shake my feelings of guilt. Despite what anyone said to me, I blamed myself. In some ways, seven years later, I still do. I received little to no support from my agency, and if not for my family and friends, I might not have been able to cope with the feelings I had from this incident. Initially, I wanted to stop being a training officer, but I soon realized that I could use this experience as a means to educate other new officers. I could relate my experiences from what was nearly the only line-of-duty death I had been to and share that. I could use this to teach new officers that they are not invincible. None of us are. The badge and gun we carry do not exempt us from accidents or injuries that can end our lives or careers. There are some things that we cannot change, and some dangers that are simply a part of the job. The ability to deal with the stress that we experience, while realizing that we are all human and we all experience horrible things from our chosen field, and being able to deal with negative feelings in a positive manner are keys to success.<br />
<br />
"This incident happened before Post Traumatic Stress Management and Debriefings were discussed in law enforcement in my area. I realize now that this was absolutely a traumatic incident, and I needed to work through this and get my feelings out. I was lucky. I was able to work through this and turn a negative into a positive in my future. Some people aren't that lucky."<br />
<br />
The officer who told <em>PSC </em>this story was able to take this tragedy and use it to help others and himself. Even though it took a while to rebound, he is still working in law enforcement, now with a renewed focus on traffic enforcement and training.<br />
<br />
The worst thing to do in any situation like this is to play the "what-if" game. There is no room for second guessing when dealing with events that cannot be changed. That should be done only in training scenarios and forward planning.<br />
<br />
<strong>WHAT NEXT?</strong><br />
No one is immune to emotional responses to tragedies they witness. Rank and experience don't count and can even make one feel more responsible and therefore suffer more deeply. People who choose careers in emergency services or public safety tend to have much in common, and some of these traits affect how we deal with stressful situations and tragic circumstances. Do the following characteristics apply to you or someone you know?<br />
<ul>
<li>Obsessive: "It has to be done this way.";</li>
<li>Compulsive - every time;</li>
<li>Control or action oriented - at work and at home;</li>
<li>Easily bored;</li>
<li>High need for stimulation;</li>
<li>Risk taker;</li>
<li>Highly dedicated;</li>
<li>Need to be needed;</li>
<li>Difficulty saying no;</li>
<li>Family oriented;</li>
<li>Driven by internal motivations; and</li>
<li>Generally high tolerance for stress and ambiguity.</li>
</ul>
What can you expect to go through after a traumatic event? Your reaction starts within minutes of the event and will continue months and possibly years afterward, even when you receive help. You should be aware that you and your co-workers may have several responses to an officer-involved injury or death: heightened sense of danger; anger; nightmares; flashbacks and intrusive thoughts; isolation/withdrawal; numbness; startle responses; alcohol/substance abuse; marital problems; perceptions of going insane; fatigue; crying/depression; guilt; trouble remembering/concentrating; and/or anxiety.<br />
<br />
Other stress reactions, such as difficulty sleeping, headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches and high blood pressure, may also occur.<br />
<br />
Initial responses may include psychological numbing, fear, denial, nausea, perspiration, guilt and panic. These symptoms will manifest themselves and most likely get worse over the first 24 hours. Sleep will be evasive, and concentration will be extremely difficult. You will find you are "going through the motions" because it is easier than thinking about what you are doing. When you start to think, you start to think about what happened.<br />
<br />
In the next few days, doubts and fears will intensify, and you might feel increasingly vulnerable. Hopefully, you will have had an opportunity to speak with a victim advocate or counselor immediately, but it is important to continue talking about the event.<br />
<br />
Toward the second week, even though you have been experiencing strong emotions, you may start blocking things out with the desire to get back to normal. Or you might worry to the point of obsession and relive the event over and over in your mind.<br />
<br />
It's important to understand that these reactions are normal and should be dealt with. If symptoms are ignored and go unchecked, the person's mental and emotional status will deteriorate even more. It's also important to be able to recognize that your co-workers may be experiencing symptoms as well, and no one may be exempt from the effects of loss.<br />
<br />
Not everyone's experiences will be the same. Wayne R. Hill, PhD, clinical psychologist and president of Management and Behavior Consultants PC, says there are at least four possible ways in which symptoms manifest. Public safety personnel may: 1) exhibit a tough exterior; 2) self-medicate emotional pain with alcohol or other substances; 3) overuse morbid humor, inappropriate jokes and exhibit seeming oblivion to the pain of others; and 4) exhibit isolationism, detachment and intolerance to human frailty.<br />
<br />
Because of the characteristics common to those in public safety, we often try to handle things ourselves and keep our feelings -- especially those of vulnerability -- to ourselves. But this is unhealthy and will make matters much worse. On the other hand, an active and supportive approach to even the worst tragedy can facilitate successful coping by affected personnel.<br />
<br />
<strong>HOW TO HELP</strong><br />
Coping with trauma requires peer support. What can you do to help? Learn about critical incident trauma. Be available. Accept whatever response you get. Don't judge; it is not appropriate to say, "You should" or use such cliches as "Everything happens for a reason." Listen to what's being said. Validate emotional responses. It's OK to give advice as long as you're not condescending. Be sensitive to changes in behavior or mood. Offer to help with specific things, such as making phone calls, driving or running errands. Personalize what you say. "I remember how hard it was for me when my brother passed away. I am so sorry about Jason's death." Remember, you are not responsible for how others handle a traumatic event. Know your limits -- and when to recommend professional help. Don't be afraid to bring up the event weeks or months later. Touch communicates a great deal. If you're comfortable with it and if it's appropriate, a hug can mean a lot.<br />
<br />
Often, going through a traumatic event and successfully dealing with the aftermath can help you be more effective for those who may be involved in later events. Use your experience.<br />
<br />
<strong>CONCLUSION</strong><br />
Information is available to help telecommunicators cope with tragedy, but the information can be confusing and disheartening. So take the steps to find out more <em>before </em>a tragedy occurs.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-59038335956207630382014-06-06T08:50:00.001-05:002014-06-06T08:50:32.679-05:00Stress & The Invisible First Responders<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from 9-1-1 Magazine.com, July 7, 2013</span><br />
Written by Brooklyn Mundo, former 911 dispatcher who became an advocate for the psychological well-being of 911 calltakers and dispatchers while studying psychology at Rollins College. She recently presented the results of her research on the psychological effects of working as a 9-1-1 operator to the Seminole County (Fla.) Sheriff's Department and is submitting her research to scientific journals for publication. Brooklyn recently graduated from Rollins College and started a new job as a career development center specialist at Seminole State College of Florida.<br />
<br />
<br />
Most people don't consider that behind every shooting, car accident, bank robbery and kidnapping is the story of the 9-1-1 dispatcher who is, in essence, the first responder on the scene. Considered even less is the psychological impact of this job.<br />
<br />
After about two years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher in an emergency communications center in Central Florida, I began to experience weight gain, panic attacks and paranoia. Even though my mind had adapted to the day-to-day adrenaline rush of vacariously encountering traumatic situations, I couldn't escape the physiological and emotional consequences. As a psychology major in the Hamilton Holt School at Rollins College, I was learning concepts that described what I was experiencing, and conversations with my coworkers revealed that I wasn't the only 9-1-1 operator suffering the effects of being in a continual state of crisis.<br />
<br />
Because of my psychology classes, I was able to apply an introspective analysis of my experience that helped me recognize the impact the job was having on me. I realized that I was experiencing increased levels of anxiety and even paranoia in my day-to-day life. Routine tasks started to make me flash back to certain calls. I could no longer watch movies with action sequences because they would remind me of real events. I felt fearful in my everyday life. I finally started calling my experiences what they were: traumatic.<br />
<br />
When you do this job, you work in a constant state of crisis and it becomes difficult to leave that behind at the call center. As a 9-1-1 telecommunicator, we are expected to be there for people. I had genuine empathy but I also developed coping mechanisms for self-preservation, a form of detached empathy that made it difficult to experience real empathy in my life outside of work. It definitely affected my relationships. Most 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers don't realize their own psychological distress because the heightened sense of adrenaline and crisis has become their "new normal" so to speak, but I was aware that this was happening because of what I was learning at Rollins.<br />
<br />
An assignment for my communications research course gave me the opportunity to write an analysis of the research on 9-1-1 dispatchers. After pouring over hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles, I found only three studies directly related to the profession. Being able to learn about and discuss my experiences at school was enlightening and comforting. It provided an outlet.<br />
<br />
As I headed into my final semester, I proposed an independent research project which gave me the opportunity to do some research on how 9-1-1 dispatchers were coping with the stress of the job and hopefully add some new information about the profession to the scientific community. There has been a lot of research on police officers, but almost none on emergency communications dispatchers. I needed somewhere to start. So I compared data on police officers with data I'd collected on 9-1-1 dispatchers. My hunch was that the study would reveal that both populations deal with similar stress levels.<br />
<br />
My faculty advisor on the project, Rollins Professor and chair of the Psychology department John Houston, was both surprised and intrigued by the ambitious nature of the research. He believed that my unique background as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator and as a psychology major gave me a special perspective on how a group like this doesn't face physical danger but experiences vicarious stress. Recognizing the value of this study, the dean of Rollins' evening school provided grant money to cover some of the costs of the surveys. What began as a personal journey toward understanding what was happening in my own head began to grow into a project that the surrounding community wanted to invest in and learn about.<br />
<br />
As part of my research, I asked a group of 9-1-1 dispatchers to take an online survey in their free time. The survey had four parts, two of which were similar to those given to police officers in previous research studies, one which looked at stress and distress when compared to the normal population, and the final part covered personality factors to see if certain factors were related to coping with the job. With a response rate of 68 percent (which is pretty good in social research terms), the survey yielded a wealth of data, which a few of my classmates helped me analyze.<br />
<br />
We found that there was not a statistically significant difference between the data collected on police officers and the data collected on these 9-1-1 dispatchers. Both groups experienced similar levels of stress. Furthermore, call-takers and dispatchers experience a higher number of critical incidents on a daily basis than officers out on the road, but there's no scale that can measure how the stress of handling phone calls of traumatic events compares to the stress of the face-to-face events that officers experience. This study has opened the door for many other research opportunities, which is exactly what I wanted. One of my primary goals was to raise awareness outside of the law enforcement community about the importance of the 9-1-1 dispatcher's role in law enforcement and the impact it has on the faithful people doing the job every day. I also wanted people to recognize that 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers are the first responders to emergencies but no one thinks about them.<br />
<br />
More research is needed to gain more understanding about the phenomenon of high turnover and psychological distress in call-takers and dispatchers. Many dispatchers leave the profession for reasons unrelated to stress, such as going to the police academy or, mostly among female dispatchers, starting a family. It may be helpful to survey dispatchers who resign from the position to get feedback about what made them leave the job.<br />
<br />
My hope is that by demonstrating that 9-1-1 dispatchers face similar levels of stress to that of police officers, they would be considered in high-risk jobs and therefore be eligible for similar benefits, such as access to counseling and time off for psychological reasons. Counseling is available to call-takers and dispatchers, but it is usually based on optional, external referral only for full-time employees. Although there is a great need for further research before implementing any program, my hope would be that eventually law enforcement agencies would staff a police psychologist and mandate quarterly counseling appointments for all call-takers and dispatchers. Who couldn't benefit from an hour with a counselor every few months, especially in this profession?<br />
<br />
I am also concerned that call-takers and dispatchers are not utilizing the current counseling available because it is optional and external. There is a culture in law enforcement that subconsciously says, "It takes a special person to do this job and if you need help, then maybe you aren't tough enough." That is entirely untrue! Indeed, law enforcement call-takers and officers are cut from a different cloth, but I believe there are some positive systems that can be implemented to help maintain that cloth and keep it from wearing out faster than its time. It may be more cost effective for agencies to staff a police psychologist than to hire 12-20 new dispatchers every year and have such a high turnover rate due to those unmanaged negative aspects of the job.<br />
<br />
What should call-takers and dispatchers do if they find themselves experiencing similar issues with anxiety, depression and generally high psychological distress?<br />
<br />
Well, I'll be working to spread the word about you unsung heroes, but in the meantime, do some honest self-evaluation. I challenge you to meet with a counselor at least once since most agencies plan for a few free sessions. Take that first step!<br />
<br />
Here's the bottom line: Before any agency will implement any kind of mandatory program to help its employees cope with the job, it must have proof that such an intervention is necessary. 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers must have the courage to speak up and acknowledge that their high stress level isn't normal. Every person is different, but making an effort to utilize the current counseling offered by each agency is a great place to start. You, as call-takers and dispatchers, are the voice for many people in their time of crisis and now is the time to be the voice for the sake of your own heart and psychological well-being.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-68787663497579184582014-05-22T10:49:00.000-05:002014-05-22T10:49:18.548-05:00Stop Problems Before They Happen: The Importance of an effective quality assurance & improvement program<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, November 2006</span><br />
Written by Alicia Ihnken, training course instructor for APCO Institute<br />
<br />
<br />
In a business full of acronyms, the letters <em>QA/QI </em>often send people running for the door. Quality assurance and quality improvement (<em>QA/QI</em>) can be intimidating, boring, challenging or even frightening. However, without such a program, a communications center, business or any entity that answers to another can get into deep trouble. Unless administration is closely monitoring performance through QA/QI, managers may not be aware of performance issues affecting customer service and satisfaction, opening the door for liability concerns. This article discusses the importance, purpose and common characteristics of an implementation ideas for a QA/QI program.<br />
<br />
<strong>WHY QA/QI IS SO IMPORTANT</strong><br />
Do the same problems pop up time and time again in your comm center? Is each and every calltaker and dispatcher where they need to be in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities? Will the calltaker's actions hold up against public scrutiny should the call become newsworthy? Does your agency perform emergency medical dispatch (EMD)? If so, do you have policies in place to ensure adherence to program guidelines and procedures? The answers to these questions will determine your need for a QA/QI program and underscore the importance of the program for ensuring the achievement of quality goals and objectives.<br />
<br />
Without a formal QA/QI program, there is no system to document checks and balances, and there's no routine way to measure individual performance. In agencies without a QA/QI program, problems are typically addressed only when someone complains or draws attention to short-comings. This usually happens after the behavior has become entrenched in the offender. With a comprehensive program in place, management - from frontline supervisors all the way to upper administration - has a better picture of how the operation is running, and errors and deficiencies in individual employee performance can be detected and corrected before they have a negative impact on agency operations.<br />
<br />
The purpose of a QA/QI program is not to spy on the employee, but to enhance performance by identifying weaknesses as well as strengths. When QA/QI is done properly, it can help the current employee and the trainee. Good calls can be archived for training purposes and top performers rewarded for their efforts. Bad calls can provide valuable feedback to the employee, trainers, supervisory staff and administration.<br />
<br />
While conducting reviews, the evaluator can pick up on trends of acceptable and flawed methods and even gross deficiencies that may be overlooked because there was no corresponding complaint. The information obtained can be used to revamp training methods and improve overall awareness. If the program is successful, it can eliminate such excuses as "nobody told me" or "I didn't know we couldn't do it that way" because the program will emphasize continuing development and improvement.<br />
<br />
A successful program is also a lifesaver (i.e., lawsuit-saver) when it comes to liability issues. This works in favor not just of administration, but also of the line worker. The line worker will have the tools, information and feedback required to perform at a higher standard. Administration will have the proof that it's watching out for the success of its employees <em>and </em>the safety of the public.<br />
<br />
<strong>WHAT SHOULD A QA/QI PROGRAM INCLUDE?</strong><br />
A QA/QI program should not be used for disciplinary actions. It is a tool to ensure employees are following the policies and procedures that support the organization's mission. Disciplinary actions should be left to complaints lodged and supervisor observations. If the reviewer uncovers a problem, across-the-board remedial training should be the direct result. If one employee has a problem area, others could very well have similar problems - or a less experienced employee may observe and learn the problem behavior - so no employee should be singled out during these training sessions.<br />
<br />
A QA/QI program should be global in nature, while addressing specific policies and procedures on a continual basis. Just as short-term solutions can lead to bigger long-term problems, long-term programs can prevent the need for short-term solutions.<br />
<br />
Centers that follow EMD guidelines commonly conduct quarterly reviews, with parameters generally dictated by the medical director of the agency's program. EMD guidelines should be followed stringently.<br />
<br />
But what about the rest of the activity that goes on in the communications center? First consider the main functions of the communications center. Is it for only police, only fire/rescue or only EMS? Is it a consolidated PSAP? Is there a separate calltaking center? What definitive areas exist for which guidelines can be established? Are policies/procedures in place for each function of the comm center? The structure and functions of your agency will determine the type of information to include in your QA/QI review.<br />
<br />
Your QA/QI categories for review should be based on your policies and procedures. No part of the QA/QI program should catch anyone by surprise. It's not intended to "trap" anyone, but to provide an objective picture of what is really happening. Encourage staff members to look at the whole process as a benefit to them and their professional development. If there is to be any trapping, it should be focused on catching employees in the act of doing something right! Categories for review can include fire radio procedure, police radio procedure, nonemergency calltaking, 9-1-1 calls, customer service - or any other area that has a defined policy. The information for each will have similarities and differences.<br />
<br />
A review schedule should include information on the types of calls to be pulled and a schedule of when the reviews will be conducted. Methods for pulling calls for review can include completely random, only 9-1-1, only nonemergency, only traffic stops, only chest pain calls or combinations of these.<br />
<br />
Once the areas to address have been determined and the policies and procdures put in place, the QA/QI reviews should be built around these elements.<br />
<br />
The most important element in a QA/QI program is that everyone involved have a clear picture of its purpose and how to proceed. All QA/QI programs must include proper planning, proper review and proper enforcement.<br />
<br />
<em>Proper planning </em>consists of a comprehensive analysis of the organization's goals. Without this, evaluation guidelines can't be created. During this analysis, determine the expectations of the administration, responders and the public regarding the employees<span style="font-family: inherit;">, the standards to which the employees will be held, the evaluation method (standard of measurement) and the overall review process.</span><br />
<br />
<em>Proper review </em>ensures the overall effectiveness of the program. Even though all reviews should point back to the overall mission of the center by reflecting the policies and procedures, it's not enough just to ask, "Were the policies and procedures followed?" The reviews should be comprehensive, but at the same time not so tediously detailed that the reviewer gets bogged down in the form instead of focusing on the information being reviewed. Consistency is key; therefore, a schedule of reviews must be set.<br />
<br />
<em>Proper enforcement </em>is the "payoff." If the appropriate steps are taken in the review process, the organization should have a clear picture of employee performance. As a result, strengths and weaknesses will be clearly defined and action plans can be created and implemented.<br />
<br />
To assist you in understanding the process, review the sample policy and procedure, compiled from various SOPs, and the sample QA/QI form based on the sample policy. They both will be at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
<strong>Practical Application</strong><br />
When creating your review form, carefullly analyze the categories/questions you're including. Are they quantitative or qualitative? Will the evaluator understand the questions and how they should be answered? Is there room to write comments and observations? There are as many sets of evaluation questions and styles as there are communications centers. Some comm centers will share information with you in the name of public safety. The APCO Institute has resources that may help you create the desired format, including Web seminars on how to develop and maintain a successful QA/QI program. Build in the experience of others, and tap as many resources as you can.<br />
<br />
Another important element in QA/QI program is the people and their understanding of the purpose and process. Who should conduct reviews? Who should be reviewed? How should the reviews be conducted? The answer to these questions depends on the structure of the communications center. A large center may have an individual designated as the quality assurance officer; a smaller center may assign the task to shift supervisors or trainers.<br />
<br />
Don't forget about self-evaluations. It has been said that we are our own harshest critic. Let some of that criticism take a positive form with self-evalutaions. Give employees the appropriate time (i.e., 30 minutes or so) to review their work objectively and according to the guidelines set forth. If this is presented in addition to supervisors and trainers conducting evaluations, it can soften the blow when mistakes occur. What cannot be stressed enough is that <em>this process should not be used for disciplinary actions. </em>Similar to the daily observational report (DOR), the QA/QI review may, however, be used for tracking performance and evaluating opportunities for improvement. The moment it is used to discipline an employee, is the moment its effectiveness as an evaluation tool is lost. Performance evaluations, complaints and other types of information should be enough to find problems requiring disciplinary actions without resorting to call reviews.<br />
<br />
<strong>Implementing a QA/QI Program in Your Agency</strong><br />
This is where the rubber meets the road. Proper implementation of a program that can save you and your employees from liability and improve the overall performance of public safety telecommunicators is crucial to a successful operation. First, make sure you have a well-defined mission with clear-set goals. These goals should be reflected comprehensively in policy and procedure. Only after you have these important pieces in place can a fair evaluation system be created. The right people and proper training are also crucial to successful implementation. Do you have individuals, either supervisors or line personnel, who have the capacity to motivate and support others? Can they be, or have they been, trained in mentoring techniques? Take a closer look at current employee potential and follow best practices when hiring.<br />
<br />
Develop a tracking system that will hold employees accountable to the program. Several methods can be used to track call reviews (e.g., paper in a notebook with dividers, paper in a filing cabinet), but by far the most space-saving method is electronic. <em>Example: </em>Names, dates and case/run numbers can be documented in MS Office Excel for easy reference and tracking. Results of call reviews can be e-mailed to the appropriate parties. This process does not have to be cumbersome.<br />
<br />
Develop your preferred method of tracking before the first call review is conducted, and make sure the evaluators are very familiar with the system you plan to use. It helps to have one person assigned to monitor the activity and compile reports for administration. If everyone knows who is doing what, it makes it easier to hold employees accountable to the program and their duties. With the right elements in place, including people who understand the process, the program should run smoothly.<br />
<br />
Once the program is developed and you have the right people in place, how do you proceed? If none of the employees were in the planning stage of the program, inform them of the process. Everyone who works for an organization should be well-versed in its mission and goals. Let them know who will be doing the evaluating and for what purpose.<br />
<br />
Designate training times to familiarize those involved with the entire process. "Roll call" training is a tool often implemented when the opportunities for classroom or meeting time are scarce.<br />
<br />
Inform everyone of how and when the process will be implemented beforehand. Give them a chance to digest the process and the opportunity to ask questions. Even if an employee will not be conducting a review, he or she will still be subject to review and should be familiar with the entire process.<br />
<br />
Set up a schedule and post it in an accessible area. If there are no deadlines or the reviews can be conducted whenever the employees desire, the reviews will most likely not be done. Give the employees the time and the tools to proceed, and hold them accountable. Monitor the process to ensure timely results.<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary</strong><br />
A quality assurance/quality improvement program should not be scary, daunting or overbearing; instead, it should be enlightening, helpful and beneficial to the organization and its employees. To ensure your program meets these objectives, be sure you:<br />
<ul>
<li>Establish a clear mission with supporting goals;</li>
<li>Have policies and procedures that support the operation;</li>
<li>Have quality, well-trained employees; and</li>
<li>Hold employees as well as management accountable to your clearly established QA/QI guidelines and methods.</li>
</ul>
The time you take in advance to build a solid foundation will eliminate the need for quick fixes and short-term solution.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;">Sample Policy & Procedure:</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Nonemergency Calltaking</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Policy:</strong> The purpose of this policy is to address proper nonemergency call handling within the communications center. The seven-digit phone number to the communications center is 555-2525. This number allows local access to the communications center for the public, responders and other area agencies. Calltakers shall hold to the mission of the communications center and be professional and polite when dealing with all customers including responders, co-workers and callers. Technical telephone training that addresses the operational aspect of phone use is provided in the initial training phase before the calltaker graduates to the on-the-job training. This training and its corresponding policy and procedure are addressed separately.<br />
<br />
<strong>Procedure: </strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Nonemergency lines shall be answered within three or fewer rings.</li>
<li>All nonemergency calls shall be answered, "Anytown Police, how may I help you?"</li>
<li>If an emergency call comes in on a nonemergency line, it shall be handled following the policy addressing 9-1-1 emergency calls.</li>
<li>Calltakers shall remain alert and ready to handle any incoming call.</li>
<li>Calltakers shall speak clearly and distinctly at all times.</li>
<li>All calls for service within the service area shall be entered into CAD in a timely manner.</li>
<li>The calltaker shall make every effort to enter the correct nature/event code.</li>
<li>The calltaker shall verify the location, cross streets and business name, if applicable.</li>
<li>The calltaker shall attempt to obtain the name and phone number of the caller.</li>
<li>If the call is transferred to another department, no event record is required.</li>
<li>Calls not involving law enforcement or those not within the service area shall be referred to the appropriate agency or transferred, depending on the request.</li>
<li>Although calltakers are not expected to endure abusive callers, the calltaker is not permitted to use abusive language, and courtesy must be maintained.</li>
<li>It is appropriate in cases of abusive callers to refer the call to the supervisor.</li>
<li>Calls shall be handled in a business-like fashion, and the caller shall be advised of what to expect (e.g., a phone call from an officer, a visit, an appointment or whatever the case may require).</li>
<li>All nonemergency calls are subject to review.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Sample QA/QI Call Review Form Information</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Nonemergency Calls for Service</span><br />
Name: Review Date:<br />
Reviewer: Case/Run/Event#:<br />
Time of Call: Time of CAD entry: (N/A)<br />
Was the appropriate greeting used? (Y/N) If no, explain:<br />
<br />
Was the appropriate nature code entered? (Y/N)<br />
<br />
Was the location information verified? (Y/N)<br />
<br />
If caller did not have an address or if the locations provided did not register in CAD, how did the calltaker proceed?<br />
<br />
Did the calltaker ask for the name and phone number of the caller? (Y/N)<br />
<br />
If the call was not within the scope of the service area, was the caller provided with information on how to obtain the requested help? What was done? (N/A)<br />
<br />
If the caller was abusive, how was the call handled? (N/A)<br />
<br />
Was the calltaker professional and polite at all times? (Y/N) Explain:<br />
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-40252357360628257042014-05-15T07:39:00.001-05:002014-05-15T07:39:24.252-05:00Runaways: Treat Every Missing Child Report as if the Child is in Immediate Danger<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, March 2012</span><br />
Written by Sheila Hanna-Wiles, RPL, education and training administrator for APCO Institute<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>SCENARIO 1:</strong> Fourteen-year-old Lisa leaves a note to her parents stating she doesn't like living with them anymore and will find somewhere else to live. The parents last saw Lisa at 10 p.m. the night before and found the note at 6 a.m. Lisa's parents call 9-1-1 immediately after discovering the note. This is the conversation between Lisa's mother and the 9-1-1 calltaker:<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>9-1-1, where is your emergency?<br />
<br />
<em>Mother: </em>123 Adams Road. My daughter has run away.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Ma'am how do you know your daughter ran away?<br />
<br />
<em>Mother: </em>Because she left a note that said whe didn't like living here anymore and was going to live somewhere else.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Has she done this before?<br />
<br />
<em>Mother: </em>Yes, a couple of times but she has always come back home in a couple of hours.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>How long has she been gone this time?<br />
<br />
<em>Mother: </em>I don't know. We saw her at 10 p.m. last night.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>OK, I'm sending an officer to take a report.<br />
<br />
Both parties hung up.<br />
<br />
The calltaker dispatches an officer to talk to Lisa's mother. She advises the officer that the subject has a history of running away from home. Feeling no urgency to get to the house to take the report, the officer decides to drop his radio off at the station for maintenance on his way to the call.<br />
<br />
The officer takes the report and requests a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) be sent out to neighboring jurisdictions. This request came approximately 1 1/2 hours after the original call was received. The officer advises communications staff to enter the report into NCIC (National Crime Information Center) "when they get time." The report is never entered into NCIC.<br />
<br />
Approximately 30 minutes later, another officer in a neighboring town pulls a car over for speeding. The officer runs the license of the driver and asks for identification of the passenger. The passenger produces a school ID badge. The officer runs both names through NCIC and both are clear. The officer gives the driver a ticket for speeding and sends them on their way.<br />
<br />
The next morning a report comes in of an abandoned vehicle in a local shopping center parking lot. The officer runs the license plate through NCIC and finds out that this same vehicle was stopped the day before for speeding. The officer looks in the vehicle and notices blood on the seats. He forces the trunk open and finds the body of a deceased female. The female is later identified as Lisa.<br />
<br />
<strong>SCENARIO 2: </strong>Twelve-year-old Bobby loves the computer that was given to him by his parents for Christmas. Bobby has befriended several people on different website chat rooms. One friend in particular, Claire, has become Bobby's favorite friend. Monday evening, Bobby's parents go to his bedroom to tell him goodnight and find him missing. Several items of clothing are missing, as well as the money he had saved for an upcoming school trip. Bobby did not leave a note, nor has he made any references about being unhappy with his life at home.<br />
<br />
Bobby's parents immediately called 9-1-1. The following conversation takes place between Bobby's father and the 9-1-1 calltaker:<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>9-1-1, where is your emergency?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>100 Court Dr. My son is missing.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Sir, how do you know your son is missing?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>Because some of his clothes are missing and the money he has been saving is also missing, and he should be in his bedroom getting ready for bed. He was in his bedroom earlier.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Has he done this before?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>No.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>How long has he been gone?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>I'm not sure, but less than two hours.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>OK, I am sending an officer to take a report. In the meantime, can you give me a description of your son, what he was wearing?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>(Gives description of son. Clothing, age, etc.)<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Do you know where he could have run to? Any close friends or family?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>I can't think of any place in particular but he talked a lot about a girl he met on the Internet. I believe her name is Claire.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>Do you know where Claire lives or do you have a phone number or last name for her?<br />
<br />
<em>Father: </em>I don't know where she lives, and I don't know her phone number or last name. I thought I could find it on his computer, but I don't know his passwords to get into his computer.<br />
<br />
<em>Calltaker: </em>OK, do you have a recent picture of your son? If so, please have it ready for the officer.<br />
<br />
The officer arrives on scene. Both parties hang up.<br />
<br />
The officer takes the report and gets the picture of Bobby. He immediately confirms that the case meets the AMBER Alert criteria and asks the comm center staff to put him into NCIC and issue an AMBER Alert.<br />
<br />
For the next hour, the officer and Bobby's parents try to break into Bobby's computer and retrieve any information they can about "Claire." Within two hours, the police locate a computer technician who can break passwords. Just as the technician was able to get into Bobby's computer, the phone rings. It's Bobby.<br />
<br />
Bobby asks his parents to come and pick him up from a local convenience store. After they pick him up, Bobby tells them the story of meeting Claire on the Internet and how she wanted to meet in person and how they could do fun things forever. He says she told him that his parents would not like where she lived so he shouldn't tell them where he was going.<br />
<br />
Claire had picked Bobby up at the same convenience store earlier. She took him back to her house where they were suppose to "have fun." Bobby noticed right off that she looked older than 16 years old, like she had told him in the chat room.<br />
<br />
Claire began making sexual advances toward Bobby. Bobby told her he didn't like what she was doing and it made him feel uncomfortable. All of a sudden, Claire got angry and screamed for Bobby to get out of her house "now and never come back." This is when he ran out the door and to the convenience store. Bobby was able to take officers directly to Claire's house. After officers made the arrest and did a background check on "Claire," they found out that she was a registered sex offender.<br />
<br />
These two stories are not Lifetime movie plots; these are real scenarios that haunt our family, friends and community every day. These are calls that are received in a comm center every day, somewhere.<br />
<br />
<strong>A LITTLE UNDERSTANDING</strong><br />
Understanding the background of runaways and knowing the level of response that is needed "is unquestionable one of the most critical elements in the entire missing-child investigative process" and will assist in bringing these runaways back home safely, according to Steidel. "Furthermore, it is recommended that law-enforcement agencies respond to every report of a missing child as if the child is in immediate danger."<br />
<br />
A <em>runaway </em>is defined as a child who leaves home without permission and stays away overnight; a child 14 years old or younger (or older and mentally incompetent) who is away from home, chooses not to come home when expected to and stays away overnight; or a child 15 years old or older who is away from home, chooses not to come home and stays away two nights.<br />
<br />
Another term you need to know is "thrownaways." Although closely related to "runaways," thrownaways have different criteria. Thrownaways are children who are asked or told to leave home by a parent or other household adult and no adequate alternative care has been arranged for the child, and the child is out of the household overnight. Or it is when a child is away from home and is prevented from returning home by a parent or other household adult and adequate alternative care is not arranged. Although not necessarily reported to authorities as missing, thrownaways frequently come to the attention of law enforcement.<br />
<br />
<strong>SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM</strong><br />
Youth ages 15-17 years old make up two-thirds of the runaways/thrownaways. According to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART) report findings in 1999, an estimated 1,682,900 youth had run away or been "thrown away." Twenty-one percent were reported to authorities for purposes of locating the youth. Seventy-one percent could have been endangered during their runaway/thrownaway episode by virtue of such factors as substance dependency, use of hard drugs, sexual or physical abuse, presence in a place where criminal activity was occurring or very young age (13 or younger).<br />
<br />
This is not to say that every child runaway/thrownaway will end up in the worst situation. Some have been found living with family members or close friends and doing well.<br />
<br />
Why these children end up as runaway/thrownaways is almost as important as finding them. Three things are needed in order for a child to run away: ability, willingness and opportunity. Most kids have the ability and opportunity but need the willingness. Willingness comes from many different factors or circumstances, such as stress, not wanting to get into trouble for something they did, a power struggle, substance abuse or not wanting to go to school.<br />
<br />
Another reason that sparks the willingness to run away is dreaming of a better life outside the home. The dream consists mostly of "no rules and I'm my own boss."<br />
<br />
Some kids run away because of drug and alcohol abuse. The kids are addicted or using more than their parents know about. Usually, their goal is to be able to use it freely and not hide it.<br />
<br />
Sadly, some kids run away because they are living in a home where they are criticized constantly.<br />
<br />
If you take all these reasons and look closely, the bottom line reason is because these kids don't have good problem-solving skills. Running away is the easiest fix to the problems. They choose to run from the problem instead of looking for alternate options to fix the problem.<br />
<br />
<strong>A TELECOMMUNICATOR'S IMPACT</strong><br />
The manner in which the initial call is handled by the public safety telecommunicator forms the foundation and direction of the overall response to the missing child. The attitude a telecommunicator possesses during the onset of the call will manipulate the handling of the call. As with any emergency call, a telecommunicator must treat each call as a new call regardless of how many times the person has called to report their child missing. The telecommunicator is tasked with gathering the facts surrounding the incident and relaying those facts to the responders. They must not pre-judge the call.<br />
<br />
When taking calls for runaway/thrownaway children, one of the most important resources a telecommunicator should use to build a response toolbox is the Standard for Public Safety Telecommunicators when Responding to Calls of Missing, Abducted, and Sexually Exploited Children (APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010). The response toolbox is a pre-incident planning and resource development project.<br />
<br />
The goals for the initial intake of information are stated in the APCO ANS standard as:<br />
<ol>
<li>Obtain and verify incident location along with callback and contact information. Maintain control of the call. Communicate the ability to help the caller.</li>
<li>Methodically and strategically obtain information through systematic inquiry to be captured in the agency's intake format.</li>
<li>Recognize the potential urgency of the missing child incident and immediately begin the proper notifications consistent with agency policy.</li>
<li>Perform all information entries and disseminations, both initial and update. This includes mandatory entry of information about the missing child into the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) National Crime Information Centers (NCIC) databases accurately, including vehicle if known.</li>
</ol>
These goals should remain at the forefront when developing a response toolbox. The intake information must be gathered in a timely fashion and methodical manner.<br />
<br />
The following questions are consistent with the APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010 standard. After obtaining the location to send responders and the caller information, the next step is to narrow down the time frame. Asking the following questions can assist in getting this information efficiently:<br />
<ol>
<li>When did this happen?</li>
<li>Where was the child last seen?</li>
<li>Any special regional considerations, such as wildlife, weather or wilderness?</li>
<li>With whom was the child last seen?</li>
<li>Who last saw the child? (If the answers to questions 4 and 5 are the same, ensure this information is conveyed to investigative personnel. Complete the background checks for investigative personnel as authorized.)</li>
<li>What mode of travel was the child using?</li>
<li>What was the direction of travel?</li>
<li>What suspicious circumstances, if any, were there?</li>
<li>What steps have been taken to locate the child?</li>
<li>Has this happened before?</li>
<li>What is the caller's relationship to the child?</li>
<li>What ideas or suspicions exist about where the child may have gone?</li>
<li>What notes, letters, or threats, if any, were located pertaining to this incident?</li>
</ol>
Once this information is obtained and relayed to the responders, the next part of questioning will center on the child. Examples of questions to ask are: the child's name, sex, race, age, height, weight, hair color, etc. The child's clothing description is also gathered at this time.<br />
<br />
Finding out about the child's medical condition is another very important element. Ask the caller if the child has any medical conditions or if the child is taking any medications, and if they are, when the next dose is needed.<br />
<br />
The next part of questioning should focus on the suspect/companion. The preliminary questions are similar to those asked about the child: name, sex, race, age, medical status, etc. Another important piece of information to gather is the relationship between the child and this person. Do they know each other? Are they related?<br />
<br />
If the child's mode of travel was in a vehicle, then you should obtain the vehicle's description. The easiest way to get a vehicle description is to use the acronym CYMBALS: color; year; make/model; body style; additional description (dents, rust, damage); license plate; and state.<br />
<br />
<strong>MAKE A DIFFERENCE</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>SCENARIO 1 RECAP: </strong></span><span style="color: black;">The officer arrives at Lisa's parents' home to deliver the news. "I'm very sorry. We did all that we could," says the officer. The hurt and grief Lisa's parents feel at the news of their daughter is indescribable.</span><br />
<br />
Could the telecommunicator and/or officer have made a difference in the outcome? Yes.<br />
<br />
One very important element that was missed in the process was getting the information into NCIC immediately. Had the information been put into NCIC, then the traffic stop officer would have received a "hit" on Lisa's name. The telecommunicator and officer pre-judged the call based on the history. The prejudgment prevailed when the telecommunicator advised the officer of the history, although the history was not relevant to this episode. And the officer prejudged by making a stop on his way to the call as though time was not an issue.<br />
<br />
We know the telecommunicator did not ask enough pertinent questions to help locate Lisa. She didn't get a description of Lisa, did not ask if she could be accompanied by anyone or obtain her mode of travel. All of these are examples of information that could have been put in a BOLO immediately.<br />
<br />
<strong>DIFFERENCE MEANS LIFE OR DEATH</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>SCENARIO 2 RECAP: </strong></span><span style="color: black;">After the investigator questions Bobby and as he released him to his parents, he said, "We're done questioning Bobby. You may take him home. We did everything we could to make sure this moment happened."</span><br />
<br />
Now, it's time for the investigator to question Claire. "We know your intent was to sexually assault Bobby. So why did you let him leave?" asks the investigator. <br />
<br />
Claire responds, "The television had an AMBER Alert scroll at the bottom of the screen, and it stated that Bobby could possibly be with me. I knew it was only a matter of time before you guys would find me. So I let him go. We could have had a good time if you would have stayed out of it, and Bobby would have cooperated."<br />
<br />
The NCIC entry and the AMBER Alert notification were the key differences in sparing Bobby's life. The telecommunicator asked several pertinent questions prior to the arrival of the officer, including the possibility of a suspect/companion. This allowed the information to be gathered and broadcast faster to other responders. The telecommunicator advised the caller what to do prior to the officer's arrival because she knew the process. When the officer requested the entry into NCIC and that an AMBER Alert be issued, the telecommunicator knew exactly what had to be done.<br />
<br />
One part of this story that can make a difference between life and death is to educate the community about NetSmartz (<a href="http://www.netsmartz.org/">www.netsmartz.org</a>). This is an Internet safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America that uses the latest technology to create high-impace educational activities for kids of any age group. The goal of NetSmartz is to extend the safety awareness of children and empower them to make responsible decisions online and in real life.<br />
<br />
<strong>IT'S YOUR MOVE</strong><br />
A missing child is a paren't worst nightmare. When their child is missing, they expect public safety responders to do everything they can to locate their child. Are you and your agency prepared to do everything you can to help that parent find their missing child?<br />
<br />
Every 9-1-1 center should have policies and procedures in place on how to handle these types of calls. In addition, every staff member should be trained on these policies and procedures. Every call that is received about a missing child should be checked for quality assurance. Contact information should be readily available to every telecommunicator.<br />
<br />
Adopting APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010 as the minimum standard for your agency in handling these types of calls is a good start to implementing and creating a response toolbox.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-9653955721786755782014-05-14T12:45:00.000-05:002014-05-14T12:45:10.247-05:00It's the Law: Strategies for Testifying in Court<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2012</span><br />
Radiohead Column<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>DEAR RADIOHEAD,</strong><br />
Do you know any resources for telecommunicators who have to testify in court?<br />
<br />
<em>Sincerely, Ms. Scale O'Justice</em><br />
<br />
<strong>DEAR MS. SCALE O'JUSTICE,</strong><br />
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment on this topic. A few years ago, a friend of mine taught a class for telecommunicators that dealt with testifying in court. So, with his permissioin, I will note some things that may help.<br />
<br />
In this era of criminal and civil cases, public safety telecommunicators are being served subpoenas to testify at trial. You may also receive a subpoena to give a deposition. Testifying is not a part of training for public safety telecommunicators, but in the aftermath of several highly publicized trials in which telecommunicators testified, it's clear that they are as likely to be called to testify as police officers. You may even be subpoenaed to testify against your agency or co-workers.<br />
<br />
Criminal and civil trials have a lot of similarities and are conducted under the same court rules and procedures. The difference is in the type of case brought before the court.<br />
<br />
Criminal cases involve criminal acts (e.g., burglary, theft) that we associate with possible jail time. A criminal trial occurs when the state charges the defendant with a violation of a law in the penal code. In a criminal trial, the evidence has to demonstrate guilt <em>beyond a reasonable doubt</em> for the jury to find the defendant guilty.<br />
<br />
A civil trial involves a claim by one party (e.g., a person, the state, a business) that the defendant caused them damage. The determination of guilt in a civil trial is based on the <em>preponderance of the evidence</em>. One found guilty cannot go to jail; compensation is usually monetary.<br />
<br />
Let's say you've been served a subpoena. It may direct you to appear at a law office to give a deposition or may direct you to appear in court to give trial testimony.<br />
<br />
The prosecutor or civil attorney must have knowledge of all facts that may arise from the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution or defense. If you're not sure your attorney understands a concept or topic you'll be testifying about, be sure to discuss it with them. You know your job, and part of the education process is to show the attorney they can count on you and your testimony.<br />
<br />
<em>Tips for testifying:</em><br />
Behave professionally -- on and off the witness stand. This can influence the jurors, and you never know who's sizing you up.<br />
<br />
Before the trial starts, familiarize yourself with the witness stand and the path you need to get to it. This will allow you to walk confidently and directly to the stand.<br />
<br />
Dress professionally -- and conservatively. If you have a uniform, wear it; the uniform enhances your credibility. Avoid flashy colors, and wear minimal jewelry.<br />
<br />
When you're sworn in, look at the judge or jury and clearly say "I do."<br />
<br />
Sit up straight, and look at the questioning attorney. When answering the question, make eye contact with the judge or jury, whichever applies. Answer all questions clearly and loudly enough for the judge and jury to hear you. <em>Do not nod. </em>The court clerk or judge will ask you to answer audibly, and it could appear you're unsure about your answers. If the question is about distance or time and your answer is only an estimate, be sure you say so.<br />
<br />
If you are asked whether you have talked to anyone about this case and you have, admit it. There's nothing improper in discussing the facts of the case with attorneys, police officers or investigators prior to trial.<br />
<br />
If a question cannot be truthfully answered with a yes or no, you have a right to explain the answer.<br />
<br />
Keep your hands in your lap and away from your mouth.<br />
<br />
If you need to ask the judge a question, address them as "your honor," and wait until the judge gives you permission to speak.<br />
<br />
Listen carefully to the question asked, and make sure you understand it before answering. If either attorney objects, stop talking, let the judge rule on the objection and then continue. If you're not sure how the judge ruled, let them know.<br />
<br />
If the other attorney asks a question you find objectionable, pause before answering and give your attorney time to object. Avoid looking at your attorney when answering questions. This looks like you're asking for help and the jurors might interpret this as a damaging question, even though your answer makes sense.<br />
<br />
Avoid being combative and don't lose your temper. Let attorneys get as nasty as they want. They are likely trying to bait you. Stay cool, and answer questions.<br />
<br />
Don't be offended if you're told not to listen to testimony given by other witnesses. No one wants your testimony altered by others' testimony. In fact, you may be asked to leave the courtroom so you can't hear other witnesses' testimony.<br />
<br />
If you make a mistake, admit it. There could be bigger consequences if people think you are lying than if they think you made a mistake.<br />
<br />
There are many other factors to consider when testifying, such as subpoenas, legal definitions, depositions, dirty lawyer techniques, sequence of events in a trial, etc. Discuss procedures with your agency's attorney and/or the District/State Attorney.<br />
<br />
<em>Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the columnist and do not necessarily reflect the views of APCO International.</em>Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-46105332440274985232014-05-10T10:02:00.001-05:002014-05-10T10:02:46.259-05:00More Than Just 9-1-1: Specialization in the Field of Public Safety Dispatching & Reliability<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2010</span><br />
Written by Christopher Blake Carver, MPA - Mr. Carver has 17 years of experience in public safety communications.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sometimes lost in the use of the term <em>9-1-1 dispatcher </em>or <em>communications technician</em> is the reality that, within many agencies or communities, the role of a telecommunicator requires a significantly greater degree of specialization. The degree may be based on workload, number of agencies dispatched for, telecommunicator skills and other operational realities. These specializations, although essential, contribute to the complexity of the job of a telecommunicator and serve to highlight the often opposing skill sets they require.<br />
<br />
This summary of these specializations is intended to serve as a guide for those new to the field or those who may be involved with communications from a consulting or political prospective, without a thorough, on-the-platform knowledge of what makes up a telecommunicator's daily workload. For the communications manager or supervisor, this list is intended to identify possible ways to improve workflow and agency affectiveness -- especially during times of heightened activity.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">One of the first areas in which specialization occurs for telecommunicators is by area the telecommunicator is responsible for. In many cases, a dispatcher may be hired by one town and dispatch all of the agencies in that one community (police, fire, EMS). These single-dispatcher environments remain a relatively common occurrence in the U.S.</span><br />
<br />
Specialization by geographic area may also occur in a larger center, in which one telecommuicator may be assigned to cover services for one particular area on a regular basis for a special-event-related geographic area for a shorter duration. Many new CAD systems also allow the user to create temporary areas for dispatching, such as an area affected by a storm.<br />
<br />
There are many positives to this approach -- especially if all the responders have interoperable radios, can use compatible radio procedures and are empowered to share information. Having a single dispatcher (or single dispatch group) manage a disaster-stricken area will ensure effective sharing of information and improve the effectiveness of the response.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">BY AGENCY</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">The second tier of specialization is in assigning telecommunicators to be responsible for certain agencies -- and this is often the first level of growth in public safety communications centers. Having one telecommunicator dedicated to fire/EMS and another to the police function is a logical step in workload management. At this point, it's also required to point out that this is the first point of identification of the different skill-sets required to dispatch fire/EMS apparatus vs. dispatching police units. Training for telecommunicators should acknowledge these differences in approach and ensure that telecommunicators who will be undertaking both roles are aware of and able to adjust to both sides of the floor.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">BY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">Given the distinct differences in fire/EMS and police dispatching, the functions by role are also related to the overall agency function that a given telecommunicator is assigned to. Based on the size of population served, agency policies and preference, and workload, the functions of telecommunicators in the communications center may be organized along what role they are playing in the dispatching flow-chart. It should be noted that one telecommunicator may serve the same role for different agencies in the center (i.e., there may be one records dispatcher for multiple agency radio dispatchers or one fire-ground dispatcher for the various primary fire/EMS agencies that are dispatched in one center). It may also be possible for one telecommunicator to handle specific roles during non-peak periods of activity and that roles by expanded during periods of high activity. During a storm, for example all of the roles may be filled by specific telecommunicators, while at 3 a.m., one telecommunicator may have two or three roles.</span><br />
<br />
In most cases, however, telecommunicators should not be responsible for handling more than one or two channels at the same time -- and only more than one channel or talk group if the channels are not that active and the dispatcher isn't busy with other tasks or responsibilities. Expecting one tactical dispatcher to monitor two or three fireground channels is a potentially very unsafe practice and could result in degraded fireground or incident safety -- particularly if your agency requires the dispatcher to monitor every fireground transmission. A good rule of thumb is to limit the number of potential channels or talk groups that units can operate on to the total number of dispatchers on shift in the communications center.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">ROLES FOR FIRE/EMS DISPATCHING</span></strong><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black;"><strong>9-1-1/phone answering and alarm processing -- </strong>Self-explanatory, but needs to be identified, especially if your agency provides emergency medical dispatch and associated pre-arrival instructions</span></li>
<li><strong>Incident assignment/response coverage -- </strong>Fire/EMS dispatchers (often separate from calltakers) are responsible for ensuring the appropriate response is sent to incidents and adequate fire protection is maintained in the event of a serious incident or period of high activity.</li>
<li><strong>Dispatch/communications with units out of quarters -- </strong>One dispatcher will need to be available to communicate with units that are not in quarters to not only ensure they are responding to calls, but also to respond to messages from those units, such as changes in status, reports of emergencies they witness or other messages.</li>
<li><strong>Dispatch to in-quarters units/firehouse alerting -- </strong>Although this process can often be automated with such products as Locution, in many agencies alerting to firehouse PAs or intercoms remains a dispatcher function.</li>
<li><strong>Notifications dispatcher -- </strong>Many incidents will result in units on scene requesting the response of another agency (e.g., electric company, gas company, police) or notification to a hospital, such as with a cardiac arrest patient.</li>
<li><strong>Incident dispatcher -- </strong>In departments where dispatcher are required to monitor fireground communications to receive requests and information from the incident commander and to relay messages from the communications center to the scene, this is a critical function that requires a dedicated dispatcher. Often, these dispatchers are an essential element of safety on the fire or emergency scene - monitoring for emergency buttons being depressed (the ID of the potentially in-trouble unit is displayed on most modern radio consoles) - and ensuring timely reports on member accountability (PAR). Incident dispatchers also enter in narrative descriptions of the event, acess building information from available sources and confer with the incident assignment dispatcher should additional resources be required.</li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="color: red;">ROLES IN POLICE DISPATCHING</span></strong><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black;"><strong>Calltaking dispatcher -- </strong>Often, the 9-1-1 element of the communications center and in many agencies the same calltaker for police, fire and EMS incidents.</span></li>
<li><strong>Assignment/radio dispatcher -- </strong>Most agencies are divided into geographic areas, where one dispatcher serves as the radio and assignment dispatcher for the given area.</li>
<li><strong>Records/leads dispatcher -- </strong>Many larger agencies utilize a separate channel and dedicated dispatcher to handle more involved requests for criminal records checks, report numbers or other functions that would overload the main dispatch channel if done there.</li>
<li><strong>Tow dispatcher -- </strong>Some very large agencies have dedicated dispatchers to manage requests for tow trucks and/or other outside agencies.</li>
<li><strong>"Back-channel" dispatcher -- </strong>Some larger police agencies staff an extra dispatcher on a non-primary channel to manage other requests, handle tactical incidents or other functions, such as special events.</li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="color: red;">CONCLUSIONS</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">Understanding the manner in which job functions in the 9-1-1 center can be organized facilitates not only a greater understanding of the complexity of the role of the public safety communications professional, but also serves as a potential roadmap to the operational and training needs inherent in the operation of 9-1-1 centers. Regardless of the size of a 9-1-1 center -- or the number of agencies served, these basic roles and functions are what telecommunicators across the U.S. do every day -- whether they are alone in a small town police department radio room -- or sharing those functions with hundreds of other telecommunicators in a footfall field size 9-1-1 center in a major American city.</span><br />
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Using these understandings to develop a scalable model based on workload, agency requirements, staffing and other factors permits local community leaders and 9-1-1 managers to ensure that their 9-1-1 center meets the demands of its customers both on normal days and during peak periods. Fortunately, new CAD systems and modern radio systems support these types of configurations, as well as allowing certain processes -- such as notifications and firehouse alerting -- to be automated, freeing up personnel to perform the valuable tasks of incident monitoring, ensuring effective response coverage and further improving the ability of communications centers and their personnel to perform the essential parts of their jobs that are beyond 9-1-1.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-84712174071586051062014-05-10T09:07:00.000-05:002014-05-10T09:07:02.328-05:00From The Editor's Desk<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Dispatch Monthly Magazine, Volume 20.5</span><br />
Written by Gary Allen, Editor of Dispatch Monthly Magazine<br />
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You may recall the "good old days" when communications centers had the luxury of simply answering the telephone and radioing information to field units. Then along came cellular phones, and it hasn't been the same since. The public safety communications industry has been on a faster and faster treadmill, trying to catch up with all the technology being invented. It hasn't been easy.<br />
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Before the nation's comm centers could equip themselves with Phase II gear for cellular 911, along comes VoIP telephony. And then New York City's mayor Bloomberg announced he wants a 911 system capable of handling text, photos and video.<br />
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I'm certainly happy that APCO and NENA are tackling the high-level, legislative and funding issues related to rolling out all this technology. There's enough Washington (DC) activity to keep both organizations busy every day. But back home, where the 911 calls are being answered, there is still work to be done.<br />
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Lately, the news is swarming with stories from all points of the country about delayed response times, missed incidents and other human errors leading to injury and death. Perhaps it's just the law of averages that these incidents are appearing now. But it certainly deserves a look.<br />
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The challenge of a comm center, after hiring the right people and training them adequately, is to establish a set of procedures and policies that maximize the public's safety. First, you must recognize those situations that require a procedure and policy, so that when it occurs the dispatchers will handle it as the agency requires. Second, within each situation you must recognize <em>every </em>possibility, so that no odd occurence will not be handled <em>ad hoc.</em> Lastly, you must be supervising and auditing the performance of the dispatchers to insure that all of procedures and policies are being followed.<br />
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Several recent incidents seem to be focused on the very narrow portion of dispatching related to a dispatcher's <em>discretion </em>when handling telephone calls: the calltaker decides that the call was made accidentally, that the caller doesn't have an emergency, and then doesn't send anyone to investigate. Many of these calls were made from cellular phones. These situations should be an area of <em>particular</em> focus for managers and directors to insure the center's procedures provide enough guidance for their employees to successfully handle these types of calls.<br />
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I look forward to seeing negative stories disappear from the news radar screens, and to the resulting lawsuits. But it's going to take some work at individual centers before that will happen.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-36043381055609519982014-05-09T13:33:00.001-05:002014-05-09T13:33:47.842-05:009-1-1: Making a Difference<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, August 2010, APCO Bulletin > Association News & Notes > Standards</span><br />
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The public safety communications community makes a difference every day. We answer calls from people who need assistance, and we give support and provide information to protect the responders providing that help. 9-1-1 makes a difference every hour of every day. Public safety communications professionals, at all levels and assignments, follow procedures on a daily basis to perform our duties. How are those procedures developed? They are developed by individuals, like you, who perform the duties or have knowledge and experience in the community. One method is to develop consensus standards, but to get consensus standards, a balanced group of people need to provide that consensus.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>APCO Standards Committee: </strong></span><span style="color: black;">APCO has taken a lead in the public safety communications community by becoming an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD). The APCO Standards Development Committee's (SDC) scope is: <em>APCO International will serve as a conduit to develop standards that will focus on public safety communications, including, but not limited to, training and professional development, professional qualifications, education, performance programs, technology, systems, operations and other related issues.</em></span><br />
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The SDC has three subcommittees that focus on specific areas:<br />
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<li>Training, which develops training and competencies standards;</li>
<li>Operations, which develops operational standards; and</li>
<li>Technical, which develops technical and equipment standards.</li>
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The SDC and its subcommittees have three member categories:<br />
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<li>Producer (i.e., a producer of public safety communications equipment, products, processes, systems or services);</li>
<li>User (i.e., those who use public safety communications equipment, products, processes, systems or services); and</li>
<li>General interest (i.e., all others, including, but not limited to, professional associations and societies and regulatory agencies).</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;"><strong>What can you do? </strong></span><span style="color: black;"><em>Participate; join a committee. </em>One great way to get involved is to help develop and approve standards. The SDC is currently expanding and looking for members to help facilitate important standards for the public safety communications community. A diverse knowledge base and individual experience benefits standards by addressing the needs of and providing insight from all stakeholders. Your input in developing and reviewing candidate standards can prove invaluable regardless of your background. This participation allows you to be proactive. Not only will you understand what standards are being developed, but you will have input into the changes in the industry.</span><br />
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To participate in APCO Standards activities, go to <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.apcostandards.org/">www.apcostandards.org</a> </span><span style="color: black;">or e-mail </span><span style="color: red;"><a href="mailto:standards@apcointl.org">standards@apcointl.org</a> </span><span style="color: black;">for more information. Members are selected from applications based on the positions open and the applicant's background to ensure balance and lack of dominance. There are opportunities to join SDC committees and provide subject matter expertise.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>Call to action: </strong></span><span style="color: black;">If you can't join the committee, you can still participate. As new standards are prepared, the candidates are announced in a Call to Action. These are for proposals for APCO standards and standards from other organizations that may affect the public safety community. When these notices are published, look into the standards that affect you and provide feedback. This feedback can be potential changes or a different way to accomplish the same actions. It can be as simple as a comment that the proposed standard is a good solution to its issue.</span><br />
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<em>Learn, act and connect </em>with your leaders. We need your help to develop and approve standards that enhance public safety communications.<br />
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~ <span style="color: blue;"><strong>QUESTIONS? </strong></span><span style="color: black;">E-mail <a href="mailto:standards@apcointl.org">standards@apcointl.org</a>.</span><br />
Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373812032695113311.post-52149471411680608392014-05-09T13:10:00.001-05:002014-05-09T13:10:30.465-05:00Challenges of Mobile Alarm Devices<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, August 2010</span><br />
Written by Kathy McMahon, APCO Technical Services Manager<br />
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Devices designed to automatically signal for help have been available for years. Many of them are programmed to dial a private call center or alarm company that in turn notifies the appropriate PSAP that emergency response is needed. Some devices dial 9-1-1 directly. But until recently, these auto-dial devices or alarms primarily reported only a fixed, registered location for the person needing assistance.<br />
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The increasing use of wireless phones and developing wireless technologies provide unique opportunities, allowing mobile alarm devices to automatically dial 9-1-1 when activated by a user or an authorized third party. Prior to opening a voice connection to a caller, many of these devices provide the calltaker with a recorded message indicating a potential emergency. Calltakers receiving these alarms are presented with an ANI/ALI screen representative of the wireless Phase 1 or wireless Phase 2 call. In some cases, direct contact with the individual in need is enabled, and the calltaker can ascertain incident details directly. In other cases, calltakers receive a recorded message with instructions to contact a private call center for more details.<br />
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Applications are also being developed that will notify citizens if a device fixed to a person under their authority moves outside of a specific geographic zone and to enable a wireless device to call 9-1-1 in cases of the theft of high-risk cargo.<br />
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Developing applications that increase the probability that an endangered person or high-risk collateral can be found more quickly has the potential to positively affect public safety and decrease the time it takes to resolve such incidents. However, the ability of PSAPs to effectively react to these notifications is still uncertain. In cases in which direct contact is made with a victim and details of an emergency are obtained, the challenges are less. Scenarios in which direct contact isn't possible make it more difficult for a calltaker to determine the best way to respond. Open-line wireless calls aren't new to 9-1-1, but many have been attributed to accidental dialing. If a PSAP can't confirm details from a wireless call's open line, the options for identifying and locating the caller are limited.<br />
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Implementing mobile alarm device technologies has the potential to significantly increase the number of calls in which PSAPs won't have direct contact with callers. These challenges are coupled with the fact that wireless technologies don't offer pinpoint location accuracy for these devices. The extended amount of time it takes to manage these calls can affect the PSAPs calltaking capability and answering time efficiency.<br />
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In addition, marketing for mobile alarm devices, if not executed carefully, could mislead customers into believing that help will be on the way once their device is activated -- even if they are unable to provide further details. Technologies that require PSAPs to contact a third-party call center for more information require additional steps by the calltaker that may not result in determining the individual's exact location. It's critical to couple the deployment of such technologies with a strategy to manage the public's expectations of how the technology benefits them.<br />
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Many years ago there was a commercial on TV that showed a group of children who were unsure about a new cereal. <em>Their answer to the problem: </em>"Let's get Mikey. He will eat it; he eats anything." Unfortunately, Mikey doesn't work at 9-1-1. PSAPs are still expected to incorporate these technologies into their operations even though they may be uncomfortable with them. Vendors deploying new solutions, such as mobile alarm or alerting devices, are encouraged to work with associations, such as APCO, and local PSAPs to better understand how these 9-1-1 calls are handled and how their technology may affect comm center.Commchickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171223348505053700noreply@blogger.com0