Issue Archive: January/February 2007

Depression can affect a communications center’s productivity, morale and effectiveness. Recognizing the signs and understanding what kind of help and support can be offered will be extremely helpful for dealing with a depressed employee.

Within the next several years, VoIP will be the predominant method for citizens to summon assistance via 9-1-1. PSAPs must work diligently to protect their citizens from the inherent problems of VoIP, take advantage of its substantial capabilities and ensure that the funding is in place to continue and enhance operations.

HBF provides 9-1-1 services to Broadvox, providing full support for nomadic subscribers and “out of area” telephone numbers, real-time address validation and provisioning, complete 9-1-1 call handling and single step call delivery.

An enterprise GIS database, accurate data, a systematic geodatabase design, advanced data collection procedures, consistency between the GIS and 9-1-1 databases, a framework for prevention and an informational structure for emergency response will result in a highly accurate database.

A well-designed and equipped vehicle staffed with trained personnel can be a major asset to a community as it struggles to deal with a major incident.

The International Association of Forensic & Security Metrology uses measurement technologies for documenting and reconstructing crime and accident scenes and for security planning.

When facilitating a meeting, structure them using various techniques to improve the group’s internal communications.

Accessing free resources for small police departments is of critical importance as we enter the current age of budget reductions, budget reallocations due to the increased cost of fuel and increased workload that results in existing resources being expended in new areas. The ability of an organization to find these "free" resources usually falls on the chief or chief executive officer of the agency. Sooner or later someone will be asking if the CEO is able to find the resources necessary to safely operate the police department. If he or she is contemporary, well informed and is aware of the various types of assistance available they will have no problem in finding needed resources for their public safety agency to assist them in accomplishing the agency's mission.

Emergency communications centers managers can ensure program effectiveness, increase efficiency and productivity and avoid costs through the use of Business Process Mapping.

An emergency notification system used in concert with the 9-1-1 system keeps the lines of communications open between public safety officials and constituents.