The National 911 Program has created a series of publications about the specific benefits of NG911 for public safety leaders in fire, law enforcement and EMS. The newest entry in the series is the just-released “NG911 for Telecommunicators,” focused on helping 911 professionals at PSAPs/ECCs around the country better understand the benefits and potential of the next-generation network.
“This publication explains NG911 in clear, non-technical language to give you a better sense of how the transition might take place at your center,” says Harriet Rennie-Brown, Executive Director of the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA). “Like any big change, this one won’t be easy or fast. But it is necessary.”
Related: New Self-Assessment Tool Helps Identify Next Generation 911 Readiness
“NG911 for Telecommunicators” includes:
- A non-technical explanation of what Next Generation 911 is and isn’t
- Advice on self-care and wellness for telecommunicators
- Information on how NG911 might change your job and the benefits it will bring
- How 911 professionals can get involved in the NG911 transition at their PSAP
- Resources to learn more and stay up-to-date
Related: Advancing Public Safety with NG911, EMD Protocols and Increased Collaboration
Most important, the publication makes clear just how essential telecommunicators are and will be to the successful implementation of NG911 networks and related technologies.
“It’s telecommunicators — not the technology — that are the most precious resource,” says Lee Ann Magoski, ENP, director of emergency communications in Monterey County, California. “It’s not next generation that makes 911 work, it’s the dispatchers that are doing the job, day in and day out.”
