Calls involving children and young adults are hands down some of the toughest calls a telecommunicator can handle. Regardless of being police, fire or EMS related, child related calls tax not only the call taker, but the dispatcher and everyone in the center.
On November 3, 2018, four telecommunicators from the Chippewa County (WI) Sheriff’s Office dealt with the unthinkable when they had an accident, not only involving one child, but several.
The FCC has provided guidance to licensees of state channels in the 700 MHz public safety narrowband spectrum regarding their upcoming ten-year final substantial service benchmark showing. By June 13, licensees must certify that they are providing or prepared to provide “substantial service” to two-thirds of their population or territory. “Substantial service” means that a state licensee has constructed facilities on state license channels that are operational as of the date of certification and are “sound, favorable, and substantially above a level of mediocre service which just might minimally warrant renewal.” A state licensee is “prepared” to provide substantial service if it certifies that a radio system on state license channels, which will provide service to two-thirds of the licensee’s jurisdictional area or population, has been approved and funded by the deadline date. Read the FCC’s guidance.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which was convened to address and prevent problems related to last year’s mass shooting, is discussing how to solve issues related to an aging radio communications system and overcome local opposition to a new radio tower.
