NENA Member Spotlight: Anthony Summers, Assistant Director, West Baton Rouge OHS

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Anthony Summers: 9-1-1 to me is a number that allows a conduit for the public to speak to the first, first responders to report emergencies and receive help in a timely manner. I arrived at this meaning because In addition to being the Assistant Director of our organization, I have been a volunteer Firefighter\EMT with the Port Allen Fire Department for the last 17 years. I have responded to numerous emergencies throughout my career as a Firefighter\EMT. I have seen firsthand the difference that being able to get help rapidly makes in being able to save lives and protect property.

AS: One of the events that stands out the most to me in my career is when we moved into our current communications center in October 2009. This was accomplished after almost a decade of working with my former boss to accomplish the goal of centralizing our parish's three PSAPs that were within two block of each other into one. Accomplishing this task required that many hurdles including politics, money, and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike be overcome. This event was one of the events in my career that makes me the proudest because of the countless number of lives that we have saved through the efficiencies realized by the centralization of public safety telecommunications in our small parish.