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
Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who is wanted for a parole violation, pretended to be a “distressed” hiker to hide his crime, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said
“We are at the Trump assembly, and there’s a guy shooting — he’s been shooting up the police,” one female caller said
The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection is coordinating with towns and working on the issue, according to a spokesperson for the agency
Mayor Brandon Scott said the city is readying a team of call takers, dispatchers, support staff and a supervisor to deploy in a few hours
What started as an owner surrender of four lab puppies became a life-changing moment for Tazewell County’s 911 Center
A Fort Worth woman first called 911 to say she had fallen several days ago and called again saying she would shoot anyone entering
Officers took an average of over 9 minutes to respond to critical incidents during the past year, the longest since the 1990s