University Settles Dispatcher’s Harassment Lawsuit
A former Western Washington University police dispatcher has reached a settlement in her civil lawsuit agency her employer alleging she was improperly fired in 2007 for complaining about her co-workers misconduct. Shannon O’Dwyer, 40, worked at t…
New York City Debuts Alerting System
Amid much publicity and while standing at the World Trade Center in New York City, a group of politicians, FCC officials and cellular executives announced the first implementation of a national alerting system intended to warn citizens of imminent thre…
Delayed Discipline Handed Out For Sleeping
After more than a year of delay, five New Orleans (La.) dispatchers have been disciplined for sleeping on the job with letters of reprimand. One of the dispatchers had also been accused of lying to investigators when confronted about sleeping, but wa…
New Book: Sarah Palin Applied to Be Dispatcher
Next week a new book will go on sale documenting, “The Lies of Sarah Palin,” including allegedly false statements she made in 1996 on an application for the job of Palmer (Ak.) police dispatcher. Author Geoffrey Dunn obtained the applicatio…
UK Inquest Spotlights Issues in Terrorism Response
An official investigation into the 2005 terrorist attacks against London’s public transport system found that control centers were quickly overwhelmed by telephone calls and radio traffic, and recommended the use of plain English, not only on the…
FCC Denying Old Waiver Requests, But Still Helping
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently issued waivers for two public safety agencies, allowing them to use paging frequencies for two-way voice communications. But the commission also warned that 700 MHz frequencies freed up by the …
Birthplace of 9-1-1 Damaged By Tornado
A tornado with 140 mph winds swept through Haleyville (Ala.) on April 27th, site the nation’s first 911 call, injuring at least 10 people and damaging or destroying scores of buildings. The National Weather service said the tornado struck at abou…
Further Mystery About Dispatcher’s Traffic Death
The roll-over vehicle accident that claimed the life of New Haven (Conn.) dispatcher on Interstate 91 last October was a mystery to investigators at the time. Jennifer Countermash’s vehicle swerved into the center divider, flipped over and she wa…
Strange Sick Leave Leads to Firing, Lawsuit
A former Milwaukee (Wisc.) fire dispatcher has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging he was the victim of gender and disability discrimination, and that his firing was too severe a punishment for his alleged misconduct. Robert Koch, 32, was a thre…
Officer Murdered, Post-Incident Focus on Dispatchers
During the post-murder investigation of Arlington (Tex.) Off. Jillian Michelle Smith, police officials discovered that a 911 calltaker and a radio dispatcher did not follow the proper procedures, thereby putting officers in jeopardy when they responded…