The Ground Truth: Perspectives from ECC Leaders

Wednesday, August 7, | 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Jeff Cohen, Chief Counsel and Director of Government Relations, APCO International; Lee Ann Magoski, Director of Emergency Communications, Monterey County; Nick DiCicco, DIrector, Chagrin Valley Dispatch; Jennifer Miles, Captain, Oakland County Sheriff's Office; Aimee Chase, Metro Administrator, Metro Communications, Sioux Falls

APCO's Chief Counsel Jeff Cohen led a discussion with a panel of 9-1-1 center leaders on the current challenges facing emergency communications centers (ECCs). The panelists started off by highlighting the lifesaving nature of the work 9-1-1 professionals perform and discussed how this work is often overlooked by others in the emergency response field as well as members of the public. As Aimee Chase, Metro Administrator for Metro Communications in Sioux Falls, illustrated, "When you ask someone what we do they say answer calls and dispatch help, but there is so much more under the surface that goes unseen." Ms. Chase further explained that another challenge is the lack of closure 9-1-1 professionals receive when dealing with emergencies. As she described, "Working in dispatch is like reading a suspense novel and having the last chapter ripped out."

The panelist went on to highlight some of the technology challenges they've experienced. The panelists discussed the frustrations with recurring network outages that impact the public's ability to reach 9-1-1. As Jennifer Miles, Captain with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, explained, "We are usually the first to figure out that we are impacted by an outage." Other panelists agreed with Ms. Miles' statement and elaborated on the lack of information available from the service providers during an outage.

The session wrapped up with a discussion on the innovations in technology that may be used to enhance ECC operations and address common challenges, such as staffing. Nick DiCicco, Director of Chagrin Valley Dispatch, and Lee Ann Magoski, Director of Emergency Communications for Monterey County, described how they've implemented AI into their centers to alleviate the burden on non-emergency 9-1-1 calls. When asked what the most pressing issue will be for ECC leaders at next year's conference, all four panelists said staffing.

Submitted by Alison Venable