Showing posts with label 9-1-1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9-1-1. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
It's been a long time
It's been a very long time and I've been meaning to write but times are very busy. There's so much news I've no idea where to start with all the updates. The Denise Amber Lee Foundation has come a very long way in the past few years. They've become a major player in the 9-1-1 industry. Mostly, I believe, because we have a very unique perspective. 9-1-1 call centers are mostly independent agencies they are all run differently, with different training processes, different equipment, different protocols, different staffing, different everything. As Nathan travels across the country he's had the opportunity to visit different PSAPs in different states, different counties, townships, cities etc... What may work in one, may not work in another. While some states are working on legislation others have already been thru the process. He's able to inform industry peeps on problems and successes and what's working and what's not working. So, it's all very interesting.
Nathan left his full time job early last year and started doing all this full time. He's now giving keynotes, inspirational speeches and teaching two classes. The 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers seem to welcome him everywhere he goes. He truly wants to help them. Through this journey we've come to realize that they are truly guardian angels and many are woefully underappreciated, underfunded and underpaid. He's become a champion for them. And we've all been very humbled through the process. So many tragedies... The things these people listen to on a daily basis. Most of it is very mundane but much of it is horrific. Suicides, murders, drug deals gone bad, domestic abuse, people being shot, people being stabbed, drive by shootings, school massacres, the wife who's sobbing as her husband is dying in her arms, etc... I truly don't know how they do it. And, they listen to Nathan relate Denise's story and somehow they find inspiration.
I'm humbled by all this everyday. It's good to see so much positive energy come out of Denise's tragedy.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Crist signed the bill
I know I should be ecstatic and happy but why do I feel so bereft?
I guess it is because I feel Denise's life was too high of a price to have paid to see that 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers get mandatory training.
It just makes no sense. I guess true change and great change only comes after a tragedy.
Why?
I just want to cry.
I still miss Denise everyday. My hurt and heartache has not gotten any easier to bear.
I cannot imagine how Denise's own parents feel or even Nathan.
But, thank goodness Charlie Crist signed it. Thank goodness several politicians took action.
When the bill was passed unaminously through the house, a 9-1-1 coordinator came up to Mark and I angry. Angry! Angry because he did not know how he was going to pay for it. Angry that he has to come up with $150,000.
$150,000????????? That is what he was worried about. Mark had to hold me back. All I said was "it had to be done" and then the man quietly agreed but had no idea how insensitive he had been. My heart broke. $150,000? That is nothing compared to Denise's life and the fact that Nate and the boys have to go on without her. The boys do not have their "mommy" tucking them in at nights, rocking them and kissing their booboos. They will never know her infectious smile. They will never remember her laugh. I could have smacked the man.
sigh
I should be happy I know.
I guess it is because I feel Denise's life was too high of a price to have paid to see that 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers get mandatory training.
It just makes no sense. I guess true change and great change only comes after a tragedy.
Why?
I just want to cry.
I still miss Denise everyday. My hurt and heartache has not gotten any easier to bear.
I cannot imagine how Denise's own parents feel or even Nathan.
But, thank goodness Charlie Crist signed it. Thank goodness several politicians took action.
When the bill was passed unaminously through the house, a 9-1-1 coordinator came up to Mark and I angry. Angry! Angry because he did not know how he was going to pay for it. Angry that he has to come up with $150,000.
$150,000????????? That is what he was worried about. Mark had to hold me back. All I said was "it had to be done" and then the man quietly agreed but had no idea how insensitive he had been. My heart broke. $150,000? That is nothing compared to Denise's life and the fact that Nate and the boys have to go on without her. The boys do not have their "mommy" tucking them in at nights, rocking them and kissing their booboos. They will never know her infectious smile. They will never remember her laugh. I could have smacked the man.
sigh
I should be happy I know.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
9-1-1 What is your emergency
June 4, 2009
‘9-1-1. What’s your emergency?’If you don’t have an emergency, you probably should call someone else
By Jade McDowell
of The Chronicle
If you are on the phone and hear “9-1-1, what is your emergency?” the correct answer is never going to be “I don’t have an emergency, but…”
As the weather warms up and school lets out, misuse of the 9-1-1 emergency number increases, tying up the phone lines and preventing attention to real emergencies.
“If you know it is not an emergency, then you should be looking up phone numbers or calling Information,” said local dispatcher Zoe Middleton. “Remember you are tying up an emergency line when someone with a true emergency may be trying to call us.”
She said an emergency is an event in progress requiring immediate attention of medical, fire or law enforcement professionals. Examples include a heart attack, serious injury, fire, car accident or burglary in progress.
However, there are plenty of times when 9-1-1 should not be called. A person should think about whether or not there is an immediate danger. If a few extra minutes won’t make a difference, 9-1-1 is the wrong number to use. For example, it is usually inappropriate to call 9-1-1 for information, a ride to an appointment or for an officer to come “scare” a little child into doing their chores.
Usually if the caller is not making a prank call they are let off with a warning the first time, but misuse of an emergency number is a crime. A man from Aloha recently spent the night in jail after calling 9-1-1 to complain about a rude McDonald’s employee.
“If a person continues to call us without an emergency, we will charge them,” Middleton said.
It is also a crime to intentionally give false information to emergency services.
She said if someone accidentally calls 9-1-1 they shouldn’t panic and hang up. It is important for the person to stay on the line and explain the mistake so dispatchers don’t waste time trying to find out whether or not there is actually an emergency.
Sometimes small children will inadvertently call 9-1-1 when their parents give them their old cell phone to play with, thinking the phone is safe if it is deactivated and doesn’t have a memory card. The best way to ensure the child will not reach 9-1-1 is to take out the battery completely.
“Even when they don’t have service, they can still dial 9-1-1,” Jennifer Spino, another local dispatcher, said. “If they are charged, they will call 9-1-1.”
When a person does call with a legitimate emergency they need to be able to give dispatchers as exact a location as possible. Dispatchers will be able to trace a call from a landline, but many callers now use cell phones, which don’t give an exact address. New phones equipped with GPS can give dispatchers a general area, but they rely on callers to be able to give them an exact location.
If there are multiple people around, the person with the best knowledge of the location should call. It also helps to have someone waiting outside to guide emergency workers to the exact spot.
For this reason, parents should make sure babysitters know their street address, phone number and full names. Posting this and other important contact information by the phone is always a good idea.
Parents should also teach their children the information as soon as they are old enough to understand it. Adults should emphasize calling 9-1-1 is only for an emergency and then go over what types of situations would count as an emergency. The number should always be referred to as “nine-one-one” instead of “nine-eleven.”
“Kids always follow what it is you teach them, so they will look for an 11 on the phone,” Middleton said.
While on the phone it is important to stay calm, she said. Yelling and screaming and does not make help arrive any faster. It also distorts the sound, making it harder for dispatchers to get the information they need. Sometimes the questions they ask may seem unimportant, but 9-1-1 dispatchers are trained professionals and know what information emergency responders need most.
Dispatchers will not diagnose symptoms or give medical advice, but they can help walk a person through needed emergency treatments such as CPR or delivering a baby. They will stay on the phone as long as they are needed, usually until help arrives in the case of medical emergencies.
The 9-1-1 system in the United States was put into place in 1968. The National Emergency Number Association estimates about 240 million 9-1-1 calls are placed each year.
INFO BOX:
Non-emergency numbers:
The Dalles Police Station: (541) 296-2233 (nonemergency request officer), (541) 296-2613 (police office)
Wasco County Sheriff/Animal Control: (541) 296-5454
Fire Department: (541) 298-4178
Mid Columbia Medical Center: (541) 296-1111
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
General Information: 4-1-1
My opinion
‘9-1-1. What’s your emergency?’If you don’t have an emergency, you probably should call someone else
By Jade McDowell
of The Chronicle
If you are on the phone and hear “9-1-1, what is your emergency?” the correct answer is never going to be “I don’t have an emergency, but…”
As the weather warms up and school lets out, misuse of the 9-1-1 emergency number increases, tying up the phone lines and preventing attention to real emergencies.
“If you know it is not an emergency, then you should be looking up phone numbers or calling Information,” said local dispatcher Zoe Middleton. “Remember you are tying up an emergency line when someone with a true emergency may be trying to call us.”
She said an emergency is an event in progress requiring immediate attention of medical, fire or law enforcement professionals. Examples include a heart attack, serious injury, fire, car accident or burglary in progress.
However, there are plenty of times when 9-1-1 should not be called. A person should think about whether or not there is an immediate danger. If a few extra minutes won’t make a difference, 9-1-1 is the wrong number to use. For example, it is usually inappropriate to call 9-1-1 for information, a ride to an appointment or for an officer to come “scare” a little child into doing their chores.
Usually if the caller is not making a prank call they are let off with a warning the first time, but misuse of an emergency number is a crime. A man from Aloha recently spent the night in jail after calling 9-1-1 to complain about a rude McDonald’s employee.
“If a person continues to call us without an emergency, we will charge them,” Middleton said.
It is also a crime to intentionally give false information to emergency services.
She said if someone accidentally calls 9-1-1 they shouldn’t panic and hang up. It is important for the person to stay on the line and explain the mistake so dispatchers don’t waste time trying to find out whether or not there is actually an emergency.
Sometimes small children will inadvertently call 9-1-1 when their parents give them their old cell phone to play with, thinking the phone is safe if it is deactivated and doesn’t have a memory card. The best way to ensure the child will not reach 9-1-1 is to take out the battery completely.
“Even when they don’t have service, they can still dial 9-1-1,” Jennifer Spino, another local dispatcher, said. “If they are charged, they will call 9-1-1.”
When a person does call with a legitimate emergency they need to be able to give dispatchers as exact a location as possible. Dispatchers will be able to trace a call from a landline, but many callers now use cell phones, which don’t give an exact address. New phones equipped with GPS can give dispatchers a general area, but they rely on callers to be able to give them an exact location.
If there are multiple people around, the person with the best knowledge of the location should call. It also helps to have someone waiting outside to guide emergency workers to the exact spot.
For this reason, parents should make sure babysitters know their street address, phone number and full names. Posting this and other important contact information by the phone is always a good idea.
Parents should also teach their children the information as soon as they are old enough to understand it. Adults should emphasize calling 9-1-1 is only for an emergency and then go over what types of situations would count as an emergency. The number should always be referred to as “nine-one-one” instead of “nine-eleven.”
“Kids always follow what it is you teach them, so they will look for an 11 on the phone,” Middleton said.
While on the phone it is important to stay calm, she said. Yelling and screaming and does not make help arrive any faster. It also distorts the sound, making it harder for dispatchers to get the information they need. Sometimes the questions they ask may seem unimportant, but 9-1-1 dispatchers are trained professionals and know what information emergency responders need most.
Dispatchers will not diagnose symptoms or give medical advice, but they can help walk a person through needed emergency treatments such as CPR or delivering a baby. They will stay on the phone as long as they are needed, usually until help arrives in the case of medical emergencies.
The 9-1-1 system in the United States was put into place in 1968. The National Emergency Number Association estimates about 240 million 9-1-1 calls are placed each year.
INFO BOX:
Non-emergency numbers:
The Dalles Police Station: (541) 296-2233 (nonemergency request officer), (541) 296-2613 (police office)
Wasco County Sheriff/Animal Control: (541) 296-5454
Fire Department: (541) 298-4178
Mid Columbia Medical Center: (541) 296-1111
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
General Information: 4-1-1
My opinion
I love this! It's a fantastic article and when we get home I'm going to post our local information. Anything that helps!
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