Emergency Communications Week looks at how dispatch is changing — from smarter tools and automated routine tasks to new approaches that reduce unnecessary 911 demand. Together, these pieces show how agencies are improving safety, efficiency and real-time awareness for dispatchers, strengthening their role as first responders.
Learn how modern towing workflows can cut response times and clear scenes faster
THE FUTURE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
In its first two weeks, the Sparks Police Department’s AI assistant handled 25% of non-emergency calls, helping reduce hold times and easing pressure on dispatchers
From call handling to real-time visibility, this checklist helps agencies assess whether their dispatch workflows are keeping pace with today’s emergency communications demands
THE MENTAL LOAD OF DISPATCH
Dispatchers are often the first to hear chaos, fear and loss unfold in real time, yet many remain excluded from the wellness resources, debriefings and peer support systems available to sworn personnel
Just because 911 dispatchers don’t witness trauma firsthand doesn’t mean they are not potentially vulnerable to the stressful aftermath
Subtle shifts in thinking add up to big results, offering greater levels of resilience to draw from during challenging times
What Outagamie County’s purpose-built 911 center reveals about resilience, technology readiness and dispatcher well-being
Amid a nationwide staffing shortage, learn how you can support the lifesaving role of public safety dispatchers – the FIRST first responders
A discussion of the groundbreaking findings of Carbyne’s “Pulse of 9-1-1 State of the Industry Survey” and the state of the emergency communications profession
60-second sitting stretch for dispatchers
Dispatchers spend long hours seated, focused and under pressure, which can lead to neck, shoulder and back tension. In this video, Lexipol Senior Strategic Wellness Director Mandy Nice demonstrates a simple seated stretch designed to relieve stiffness, improve posture and provide a quick physical and mental reset during the workday.
ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS NEWS & INSIGHTS
New Mexico tops the list of U.S. states in terms of 911 call frequency, with 1,169 calls per 1,000 residents
Cellphone carriers are now required to send first responders based on the location of the caller, rather than the nearest cell tower
El Monte Police Department Officer Joseph Santana, 31, and Cpl. Michael Paredes, 42, were ambushed and killed in June of 2022 while responding to a report of a stabbing; they were not told by dispatchers that the suspect had a gun
Deputy Scott Pracht responded to a 911 call from a boy who just wanted to hug an officer
“I would just like to say thank you to this young woman, of course, and all the officers involved. I’m really grateful to be alive,” the man said
In an effort to fill vacancies, city officials gave dispatcher salaries a boost in July; as a result, the PD hired 26 new dispatchers
Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee tried to reassure concerned citizens after Grady EMS declined to renew its contract with the county