FROM THE DIRECTOR 1 News 2 USE 2 9-1-1 PANHANDLE HERO MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 3 4-5 PUB ED NEWS TRAINING CORNER IMPORTANT CONTACTS 6 7 8 INSIDE From the Director FALL 2010 Mike Peters, Regional 9-1-1 Director 9-1-1 NOW Making Progress! As each of you are aware 9-1-1 has undergone a considerable up- grade in the past year. Within the next year the Regional 9-1-1 Network staff has several ongoing projects as well as many on the drawing board. The first, and probably most exciting, is the installation of aerial im- agery on each of your 9-1-1 call taking positions. This will allow dispatch- ers to see actual images of the earth, houses, a tree or two, dirt roads, etc. etc. We feel this will provide much more detail to the fire crews, ambu- lances, and law enforcement officers as they drive in our incredibly rural areas. This has already been set up in 10 of the 23 dispatch centers and is coming soon if you have not seen it yet. John Schaumburg, our new GIS employee, is working diligently to get this project done so please contact him if you are having any problems with your map. The second project is the replacement of your UPS batteries. These are the large batteries that are designed to keep the power running to 9-1-1 equipment until your generator turns on. This prevents the need to restart computers which would cause calls to be missed during power outages. Currently we have 7 of the 23 batteries installed and should finish this pro- ject in a several months. The third equipment project is the replacement of 19 of the 23 9-1-1 call recorders in the region. Everyone who has a Dictaphone recorder will be addressed this cycle. We have been negotiating with a vendor to install recorders at each of my host locations with a solution to record some chan- nels locally. This recorder is being designed to work with the new digital radio channels as well. Although equipment and software continue to change, dealing with the actual calls rests in the call-takers capable hands. We appreciate the hours each of you put in to assist those who are in need. It is our job to support you with technology, training, addressing, and mapping. Thanks for the great job each of you do and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or problems
Transcript
FROM THE DIRECTOR 1
News 2 USE 2
9-1-1 PANHANDLE HERO
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS
3
4-5
PUB ED NEWS
TRAINING CORNER
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
6
7
8
INSIDE
From the Director
FALL
2010
Mike Peters, Regional 9-1-1 Director
9-1-1 NOW
Making Progress!
As each of you are aware 9-1-1 has undergone a considerable up-grade in the past year. Within the next year the Regional 9-1-1 Network staff has several ongoing projects as well as many on the drawing board.
The first, and probably most exciting, is the installation of aerial im-agery on each of your 9-1-1 call taking positions. This will allow dispatch-ers to see actual images of the earth, houses, a tree or two, dirt roads, etc. etc. We feel this will provide much more detail to the fire crews, ambu-lances, and law enforcement officers as they drive in our incredibly rural areas. This has already been set up in 10 of the 23 dispatch centers and is coming soon if you have not seen it yet. John Schaumburg, our new GIS employee, is working diligently to get this project done so please contact him if you are having any problems with your map.
The second project is the replacement of your UPS batteries. These are the large batteries that are designed to keep the power running to 9-1-1 equipment until your generator turns on. This prevents the need to restart computers which would cause calls to be missed during power outages. Currently we have 7 of the 23 batteries installed and should finish this pro-ject in a several months.
The third equipment project is the replacement of 19 of the 23 9-1-1 call recorders in the region. Everyone who has a Dictaphone recorder will be addressed this cycle. We have been negotiating with a vendor to install recorders at each of my host locations with a solution to record some chan-nels locally. This recorder is being designed to work with the new digital radio channels as well.
Although equipment and software continue to change, dealing with the actual calls rests in the call-takers capable hands. We appreciate the hours each of you put in to assist those who are in need. It is our job to support you with technology, training, addressing, and mapping. Thanks for the great job each of you do and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or problems
John Schaumburg was hired by the Panhandle Regional Planning Commis-
sion’s 9-1-1 network as a Geographic Information Systems Specialist, with
the hopes of maintaining and refining the maps which display on the call
center computers. He attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo and San
Francisco State University, and obtained a bachelor of arts in physical ge-
ography with an underlying focus of computer mapping.
John was born and raised in San Francisco, California, and moved to Ama-
rillo in 2007. He considers himself a Californian by birth and a Texan by
choice. John worked as an investigator for Children’s Protective Services
for three years prior to being hired by the Planning Commission. He is
grateful to have the opportunity to pursue his geographical passions, and
happy to be a member of the 9-1-1 network staff.
FALL 2010 2
Remember the Telecommunicators, by Bill Carrow
The horrific events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, had a great
impact on not only the fire, police and EMS responders that
day, but also on the 9-1-1 calltakers and radio dispatch personnel staffing the comm centers. All
the training in the world couldn’t prepare them for what was about to unfold in three different
areas of the country.
Callers were dialing in from airliners, advising that they had been hijacked and attempting to pro-
vide location information as they sped past landmarks. Others called in from the Twin Towers,
advising telecommunicators that they were trapped and simply asking the calltaker to let their
wife or husband know they loved them. And radio dispatch personnel frantically attempted to dis-
patch emergency resources on disparate radio networks.
The events of 9/11 will remain etched in our minds forever. We will all remember where we were
and what we were doing that day. The true unsung heroes of that day were working behind the
scenes as they do every day. The telecommunications professionals in New York, Pennsylvania
and the Washington, D.C./Virginia area deserve a heartfelt thank you for the jobs they performed
that day. We will never know how many lives were saved through their efforts.
