Following the difficult decision to cancel APCO 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, APCO has announced its virtual governance meeting schedule for the conduct of official association business this year. The First General Business Session will convene July 30, 1:30 p.m. EDT and feature Life Member nominations and remarks by the Second Vice Presidential candidates. The Second General Business Session will convene July 31, 4:00 p.m. with a focus on the Year in Review and the results of APCO officer elections. Go to the event page to complete a simple no-cost registration for these two virtual business sessions.
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Registration closes July 12 for the APCO Institute's newest course, Cybersecurity Fundamentals for the ECC, scheduled to be held on July 15 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia. Built on the experiences of public safety cybersecurity experts and ECC professionals, this training will provide live instruction by subject matter experts on the foundational knowledge of cyberattacks, including the anatomy of a cyberattack, signs of an ongoing cyberattack and mitigation techniques. You will also learn how to prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, and the type of data that should be protected for post-attack forensic work.
Advance registration by July 12 is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted to the training. Learn more and register.
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APCO’s Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) Program is now taking applications for newly scheduled dates through 2021. The instructor-led online program is designed for professionals whose goal is to develop the management and supervisory skills needed to foster successful emergency communications center operations. View program info and session dates.
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Prince George County (Va.) Emergency Communications Center recently implemented the APCO Institute Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Program. The agency employs 17 staff members who provide police, fire and emergency medical dispatch call taking and dispatch services for Prince George County. Annually, the agency receives 90,000 calls for service. With APCO EMD certification, the agency’s staff is now specially trained to provide medical assistance to callers while emergency responders are en route.
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CBS4 Denver
The Colorado Workers’ Compensation for Audible Psychological Trauma bill provides protections for telecommunicators who are exposed to audible or visual trauma on the job that can have long-term effects.
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U.S. News & World Report
A study finds that calls to emergency medical services has fallen 26% since the pandemic began. The authors say that people who need emergency health care may be delaying care, resulting in increased deaths from conditions unrelated to COVID-19.
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NBC15.com
City officials are considering options for shifting the response to mental health crisis cases from law enforcement to specialists in mental health treatment.
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White Mountain Independent
The town of Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona, asked that people not call 9-1-1 about failure to abide by the town’s mask-wearing proclamation because it is not being enforced by the police.
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Daily Bulletin
A program in Eugene, Oregon, teams up counselors and medics to help defuse tense situations and connect people to mental health services that don't require a police response. Los Angeles City Council is looking at the program as a way to remove police officers from non-violent crisis situations, such as some mental-health emergencies, neighbor disputes and substance-abuse issues.
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Daily Press
The telecommunicator gave instructions to a caller for dislodging meat stuck in a woman’s throat during a meal.
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Originally published in the July/August 2020 PSC magazine.
By Dennis L. Snyder Jr.
Studies show that ECC telecommunicators are faced with higher levels of stress than ever with insufficient resources to handle them.
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Forbes
During an exercise known as "Field Day," amateur radio operators set up emergency communications without external services by erecting their own antennas, setting up power and operating in temporary locations.
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12 WIBW
Officials say the hiring process has been hindered because the coronavirus pandemic means applicants are not allowed into the emergency communications center, which is where they usually figure out if the position is right for them by observing live situations.
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The Frederick News-Post
A hand-held machine uses a 7.8% hydrogen peroxide solution to generate a dry mist that combats the novel coronavirus.
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