"Public Safety Communications"
NG9-1-1: Incident Information Sharing & Standardized Type Codes
August 2, 2011APCO International and NENA continue working together to develop an XML standard for incident information sharing in a Next Generation 9-1-1 environment. The product of this effort will be called the Emergency Incident Data Document (EIDD). During EIDD discussions, members of the workgroup realized that to efficiently share incident information, the receiving agency must be able to easily understand the type of incident being shared.
Read full articleFCC Accuracy Requirements for Wireless Carriers
July 29, 2011In its Second Report and Order dated Sept. 23, 2010, the FCC adopted new rules governing the accuracy of location information provided by wireless carriers to PSAPs.[1] There’s much good news in this order. One of the best aspects will require accuracy measurements from the county or PSAP geographic level. Prior to this, carriers had said they wanted to average accuracy levels over larger regional areas. In these cases, large cities where carriers could supply high-accuracy levels would skew the results for rural counties. Not all the news is good, however.
Read full articleInsidious Interference
July 28, 2011Dear Radiohead: Recently, my agency had interference on our radio system. For a few days, it was so bad we couldn’t hear our patrol units, but we could hear units from a department 200 miles away. Then the problem just disappeared. What gives?
Read full articlePolice Dispatching Tips & Tools
July 14, 2011A 9-1-1 telecommunicator listens to the radio, calls for a wrecker, runs warrants and dispatches officers on calls for service, all while providing customer service to the multitude of everyday callers. Telecommunicators possess the innate ability to complete several tasks — such as hearing multiple conversations and obtaining additional information for officers — at the same time without missing a beat. But sometimes, callers are less than cooperative or unable to give the necessary information. For every call received, telecommunicators need to use various tools to obtain additional information for responding units.
Read full articleStarting from Scratch
June 29, 2011Developing training, whether it’s a single class or a comprehensive agency program, can be daunting. You may find it more manageable, if you follow four simple steps.
Read full articleThe Politics of Perfume & Your Co-Workers
June 22, 2011Dear Radiohead: One of my co-workers likes to practically bathe in their favorite scent. I’m not someone with a “sensitive nose,” but sometimes I can’t concentrate it’s so strong. Should telecommunicators really be allowed to wear perfumes and colognes on duty? What do I do? — Signed, Eau de toilette
Read full articleWireless Device Challenges
June 13, 20119-1-1 technologies have evolved immensely, and the technology continues to develop faster than PSAPs can implement changes. In 1986 when I began my career, our agency had no CAD system or 9-1-1 trunk lines, and there was no such thing as a cell phone. Fast forward to 2011. PSAPs have had to make leaps and bounds into new technologies, and telecommunicators have had to adjust by leveraging resources and new equipment and with some creative thinking.
Read full articleThe Well-Traveled Delegate
June 9, 2011In his 30-year communications career, Manfred Blaha has attained an international level of expertise in the ever-changing and wide-ranging world…
Read full articleManaging Your Own Emergency
June 2, 2011In a world where technology affects almost everything we do, we must ask how it’s improving our lives and creating challenges. Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) and IP-based emergency communications will eventually allow us to process calls more effectively, receive vast amounts of data and share functions between PSAPs. But NG9-1-1 does not provide a venue for setting realistic expectations for a public that may already rely too heavily on technology.
Read full articleA Modest Proposal
May 19, 2011Public safety has made great strides in achieving interoperability since 9/11. The focus on interoperability also highlighted the need to maintain operability during large incidents, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and storms. The traditional approach has been to build strong infrastructure and backup systems that can ride out the incident. However, it’s clear that the power of nature can’t be completely overcome.
Read full article