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- Report is critical of Los Angeles 9-1-1 dispatch policies
Data on more than 1 million 9-1-1 calls show people living within one-quarter mile of the Los Angeles city line are 50% more likely to wait more than 10 minutes for emergency crews to arrive because the city's fire department does not often ask for county help, the Los Angeles Times reported. Data from more than 70,000 medical-related calls showed city dispatchers sent teams to locations that were closer to county firehouses, including more than 1,300 cardiac arrest calls. Los Angeles Times/L.A. Now blog (tiered subscription model)
(10/21)     
- Chicago plans to change its 9-1-1 response
The executive director of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications outlined a plan to change its 9-1-1 dispatch so more officers are free to respond to the most serious crimes. Currently, officers are dispatched to 70% of 9-1-1 calls, while most other cities dispatch them to 30% of calls. The plan will take effect after the public is informed of the change and improvements are made to the dispatch center. Chicago Sun-Times
(10/19)
| Policy Pulse | | |
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- Public safety gets do-not-call registry for emergency numbers
Federal Communications Commission commissioners voted to allow public safety answering points to put their emergency numbers in a special national do-not-call registry to keep telemarketer-autodialed calls out of their 9-1-1 systems. NENA CEO Brian Fontes called robocalls a "needless distraction" when seconds can mean the difference between life and death during an emergency. Urgent Communications
(10/18)
- Cities turn to neighbors to combine emergency services
In the post-recession economy, more local governments are teaming up on services, including 9-1-1 response and police and fire departments, to save money. More than 40% of local governments have experienced a reduction in aid from state governments this past year, and almost half have cut jobs, according to a survey of city financial officers by the National League of Cities. USA Today
(10/19)
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