Dispatch Magazine On-Line

Wearable Tech Is Coming, And It Can Dial 911

Gary Allen — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:35:23 +0000

While public safety communications centers and government regulators are focusing on the future of texting 911, technology companies are creating even more exotic methods of dialing 911, including a computer worn as eyeglasses. The fast pace of new tech makes it impossible for comm centers to keep up with the inventions of creative minds, it seems. The latest tech invention is Google Glass, a tiny computer, camera and video screen worn like a pair of eyeglasses, and linked to the Internet. The device is in limited public release now, and has sparked discussions about privacy, social interaction and “dorkiness.” Beyond the cool-looking hardware, Google and others have been promoting what users can actually do with the product, including commerce, email, reference, voice calls, taking photos and videos, and linking to social Web sites like Facebook and Twitter. A Canada-based creative agency has created a video to showcase some of the everyday activities that Google Glass might improve, including a medical emergency. In the hypothetical video, a Glass user discovers his father unconscious and makes a voice call to 911 for help. The user then performs CPR on the patient, using instructions displayed on the Glass video screen. Meanwhile, the dispatcher provides updates on the arrival of an EMS unit. Watch the video after the break.

At about 1:50 in the video, a Google Glass user discovers his father unconscious on the the floor and “dials” 911.

FCC Issues Rules For Text-to-911 ‘Bounce-Backs’

Gary Allen — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:52:53 +0000

Today the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) took the first baby-step towards implementing nationwide text-to-911 technology, by issuing rules for how wireless carriers should handle text messages when the service is not available, and by setting a deadline for the feature. The regulations are the first in a long-term project to allow citizens to send text, photos and videos to public safety answering points (PSAPs), which will eventually become part of a Next Generation 911 (NG911) network. Last year, under pressure from Congress, the nation’s cellular carriers voluntarily agreed to forward text messages to public safety answering points (PSAPs) that specifically request the service starting in May 2014. A handful of counties now have text-to-911 service, but most are accepting text messages only from one local or regional cellular carrier.

In its formal Report and Order released today, the FCC says carriers providing text messaging services must provide a “bounce-back” message to 911 texters if the local PSAP has not implemented the technology necessary to accept text messages, or the message cannot be otherwise delivered. The feature will allow the texter to immediately seek out an alternative methods of reporting an emergency, the FCC said, and also prepare consumers to become stakeholders in the future NG911 network.

The FCC noted that public expectations already support text-to-911. Telecommunications Systems (TCS) told the FCC that Verizon subscribers sent over 23,000 text messages to 911 in the six months after October 2012, and that about 13,000 of those were sent in areas where the text-to-911 is not supported.

The commission declined to require a standard wording for the bounce-back message. Instead, the message must contain only two elements of information: that text-to-911 service is unavailable, and an instruction that the texter should attempt to contact 911 by other means. Carriers can select the wording of required information, and also include additional specific messages or directions. “We believe our approach affords covered text providers with the necessary guidance and flexibility to create bounce-back messages that are understood by their particular consumer base,” the FCC said.

The FCC also prepared a cost-benefit analysis of implementing text-to-911, by using cardiac arrest patients as the defining model. They estimated the benefits of text-to-911, “to be more than ten times the highest estimated cost in the record of implementing text-to-911, which was calculated to be no more than $4 million annually.”

The Order sets a Sept. 30, 2013 deadline for implementing the bounce-back feature. Download (pdf) the full FCC Order here.

Maine Legislature Considers 911 Privacy Bill

Gary Allen — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:58:12 +0000

A Maine newspaper’s recent request for 911 logging tapes related to a homicide has prompted the state legislature to consider amending the law to exempt such calls from the state’s open records law. A legislative committee heard testimony last week that releasing 911 calls from cases under active investigation by law enforcement could jeopardize prosecutions. But state media organizations say that access to 911 call recordings is important to maintain proper government oversight. Maine is one of 10 states that prohibit release of 911 call recordings or limit their release. However, the current law doesn’t specifically provide protection for call recordings when police are still investigating a crime. Under L.D. 495, the state’s records confidentiality law would add public safety comm centers to the list of agency records to be protected, and specifically protect comm center records “when in the custody of a criminal justice agency.” In the existing “Disclosure Required” section of the state records law, an exemption would be added for, “information or records that related to a pending law enforcement investigation or pending criminal prosecution.” The proposed law would also add penalties for disclosing confidential information, including 911 call audio or transcripts. Download (pdf) the proposed bill here, and read more about the debate here.

Group Lobbies For T-Band Vacate Exemption

Gary Allen — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:59:12 +0000

A Massachusetts police organization is making a public appeal for reconsideration of eviction orders for T-Band radio users, pointing out how well a regional radio network operated during last month’s Boston Marathon bombings. The Greater Boston Police Council (GBPC) said that 166 agencies within 2,200 square-miles are dependent upon the Boston Area Police Emergency Radio Network (BAPERN), and daily use the system to improve public safety. Congress passed legislation in February 2012 that requires users of the 470-512 MHz band to vacate the frequencies by 2023, part of a larger plan to re-allocate spectrum to public safety agencies. There are 11 regions of the country that are allowed to use the band, mostly because of extreme frequency congestion in those regions. In a press release and statement, the GBPC says BAYPERN has 22 sites providing inter-agency communications for over 11,000 sworn personnel. The network is organized into two wide-area channels, six district channels and four tactical channels. The GBPC said that in the aftermath of the marathon bombings, “The greater Boston area witnessed none of the interoperability challenges that faced first responders on 9/11, due to the long‐standing use and local familiarity with BAPERN.” The group concluded, “Without the BAPERN system in place, the responding local, regional, state, and federal law enforcement personnel would not have had a method for communicating during this large‐scale incident.” The GBPC hopes that Congress and the FCC, “will reflect on the great communications successes achieved with BAPERN over the past 40 years,” when re-considering the T-Band vacate order. Download the GBPC materials about how the radio network performed during the Boston Marathon bombings.

Cleveland Dispatcher Recalls Kidnapping Rescue

Gary Allen — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:48:25 +0000

Cleveland police dispatcher Jennifer Daunch was working 10 years ago when Amanda Berry disappeared from a city street, and coincidentally was working the radio dispatch position on May 6th when Berry and two other victims were rescued from their decade-long ordeal. She recalled the emotions and anticipation of the rescue for CBS News reporter Dean Reynolds.

FCC Seeking Test Sites For 911 Future Tech

Gary Allen — Sat, 11 May 2013 03:19:38 +0000

Faced with the quickly-approaching world of Internet-based communications, today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed several real-world technology trials to help guide their regulatory work, including future 911 technology. The tests will include Next Generation 911 (NG911) networks, but also a study of how network resiliency and public safety are affected by wireless and IP- based services. The trials will be conducted by the FCC’s Technology Transitions Policy Task Force, are are intended to give the commissioners “good data,” the agency said in a statement. The project will include network migrations from copper wire to fiber optic cables and IP technology, and to wireless communications. “Today’s Notice reflects the need to be smart about how we structure trials for them to be useful,” the FCC said. “We need to know what we want to test and how we will evaluate the results.” The 911 trials will focus on NG911, and the FCC is seeking, “on a trial that will assist the Commission, state, local and Tribal governments, and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in a few geographic areas to answer important technical and policy questions to accelerate the transition.” NENA applauded the action, saying it will “ultimately spell the end for traditional analog telephones while preserving critical 9-1-1 service for wireline subscribers.” Download (pdf) the Public Notice about the project.

Here is NENA’s full statement on the FCC’s action:

The 9-1-1 Association today expressed its support for an FCC action that will ultimately spell the end for traditional analog telephones while preserving critical 9-1-1 service for wireline subscribers. In a Public Notice, the Commission’s Technology Transitions Policy Task Force seeks comment on plans to allow local telephone companies to begin transitioning pilot markets to all-IP service. As a condition of participating, carriers would be required to deploy Next Generation 9-1-1 service for consumers and 9-1-1 centers in pilot markets. Next Generation 9-1-1 will dramatically expand the capabilities of local 9-1-1 centers using secure, private IP networks that will someday accept text, images, and video calls in addition to voice.

Retiring Dispatcher Receives Radio Good-Byes

Gary Allen — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:50:43 +0000

In a rare two minutes of radio turn-about, a retiring Denver (Colo.) police dispatcher was honored with broadcast tributes from co-workers and officers in the field. John Boller spent nearly 21 years in the communications center and became known as “The Voice of Denver” for his voice and skills. On May 1st Boller retired, and a co-worker broadcast the news over the police radio channel. “He has been the voice of calm for those he has worked with and dispatched over his tenure with Denver 911,” the dispatcher told everyone who was listening. Officers were then invited to switch to another talkgroup to give their best wishes to Boller. Listen to Boller’s radio tribute here.

911 Call Leads Police To 3 Kidnap Victims

Gary Allen — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:38:52 +0000

A simple 911 call to a Cleveland (Ohio) police dispatcher has led to the safe return of three women who were kidnapped and held up to 11 years, allegedly by three brothers who lived on the city’s west side. One of the women, Amanda Berry, now 27 years-old, managed to get the attention of a neighbor through a partially-open door and call for help. Another neighbor managed to break a door panel, allowing Berry to escape to a nearby store, where she dialed 911. In one dramatic statement, Berry summed up the ordeal, saying “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.” After the three-minute calls, police responded, listened to Berry’s story, and then proceeded to the nearby house to rescue Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus. All three were taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. Police arrested one suspect in the neighbor, and later two more at other locations. Police said the three are in their 50s. All three women disappeared in their teens during the period from 2002 to 2004, and police had no clues on whether they had been kidnapped or voluntarily left. Listen to the 911 call here, and the radio dispatch here. Update: Shortly after the 911 logging tape was released, there was considerable public criticism of the calltaker’s handling of the call. Critics said the dispatcher should have kept Berry on the phone, and should have been more personal and empathetic with her. Martin Flask, director of the city’s Department of Public Safety, said the agency would be reviewing how the dispatcher handled the call. “While the call-taker complied with policies and procedures which enabled a very fast response by police,” Flask said in a statement, “we have noted some concerns which will be the focus of our review, including the call-taker’s failure to remain on the line with Ms. Berry until police arrived on the scene.” He later posted a departmental blog entry about the criticism.

Berry escaped with the assistance of next-door neighbor Charles Ramsay, who also dialed 911. His call was much less emotional, more rambling and filled with profanities. Listen to that 911 call here.

The author of a story on the Web site Slate.com was supportive of the Cleveland 911 calltaker’s handling of the call. The writer said the calltaker obtained the pertinent information, followed the proper procedure, and that police units arrived promptly.

TV Reporter Finds History of Dispatcher Discipline

Gary Allen — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:01:15 +0000

An examination of south Florida public safety communications center records by a local television station found 172 incidents of dispatcher misconduct from 2006 to 2012, but only one employee termination. Instead, nearly half the incidents were handled with a disposition of “counseling.” The incidents ranged from sleeping on the job to downloading and repeatedly visiting dating Web sites. A Boca Raton dispatcher fell asleep during a 911 call, the discipline records showed. Reporters for WPTV obtained the records from city and county comm centers and compiled a database of the incidents and resulting discipline. The list does not include dispatcher names, but the station’s report said that several dispatchers had more than offense on their record. The TV report also includes tapes of interviews with three of the accused dispatchers, during which they explain their actions. Read more about the incidents here.

TV Newscaster Latest Target of SWATing Call

Gary Allen — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:22:45 +0000

A series of false and malicious 911 calls targeting west coast celebrities for the past six months has now moved to the eastern part of the country. Most troubling, one of the false reports was made via a text message to a police department, perhaps the country’s first SWATing text message. Both of the two latest incidents occurred last Saturday night. In Howell (Mich.) an unknown person dialed 911 and claimed to be U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers. The impersonator said he was at home, had shot his wife and that he was now suicidal. Police responded in force, and quickly learned the call was false. Rogers happened to be in Washington (DC) at the time. That same night, Montgomery County (Virg.) police said someone sent them a text message reporting a shooting at the home of CNN newsman Wolf Blitzer. The text included Blitzer’s name and home address. Officers responded and discovered that Blitzer was not at home, and that the call was false. Police said the text message was sent through the department’s anonymous Text-A-Tip program, a third-party service that uses Canadian servers to remove the sender’s identifying information, and make it legally impossible to trace (pdf) messages.