CHICAGO OEMC: Mayor Daley Announces Major Upgrade To Chicago's 911 System

Mayor Richard M. Daley today announced the completion of major upgrades to Chicago's Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system at a press conference at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), 1411 W. Madison St.

The CAD system coordinates the City's delivery of police, fire and Emergency Medical Service resources to 911 calls

"On an average day, Chicago's 911 Center answers 15,000 calls for emergency service. Our call takers and dispatchers answer those calls with calm professionalism. Their job is a critical one," said Mayor Daley

"That is why it is so important that we provide 911 with the best tools availble to assist the residents who are calling in need," he said.

The upgrade was paid for by a $6 million grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security and includes a new UNIX operating system, an upgraded Oracle database, new HP servers and Storage Area Network cabinets.

One of the most groundbreaking elements of this upgrade is the integration of the Operation Virtual Shield (OVS) camera network into each CAD workstation.

ROME NEWS-TRIBUNE: October drill helped in Wednesday chemical spill emergency

There’s no way Floyd County EMA Director Scotty Hancock could have foreseen during an October 2008 drill at Bekaert Corp. that he would be back out at the site for real on Wednesday. In any case, the exercise paid off.

OCALA.COM: A look at Marion's new emergency management center

OCALA - A 15,000-square-foot building that will be the new home for the county's Division of Emergency Management is now finished.

LEBANON DAILY NEWS: Officials at odds over EMA report

Two-to-1 votes on the Lebanon County Board of Commissioners aren’t unusual. But when they happen, Republicans Larry Stohler and Bill Carpenter are usually on the same side against Democrat Jo Ellen Litz.

That’s not the way things worked out yesterday when Carpenter and Litz teamed up to nix an Emergency Management Agency policy change pushed by Stohler.

The issue revolved around a hazardous-materials response-preparedness report the county EMA prepared for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Approval of the report, which is overdue, was tabled after Stohler raised some questions about it and asked for changes.

VICKSBURG POST: City won't take part in evacuation drill

Participation in drills simulating evacuations from Grand Gulf Nuclear Station will not include Vicksburg personnel and resources until the state reimburses the city’s training costs as is done for Warren County, Mayor Laurence Leyens said Thursday.

The city is demanding the state pay $1,940 per day for the Vicksburg Fire Department to join in a medical and decontamination drill scheduled in March, according to a letter sent to Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack. Copies were sent to local officials, including Warren County Emergency Management Director Gwen Coleman.

Further, the letter from Vicksburg Emergency Management Agency Director Anna Booth states, annual costs for sending 120 Vicksburg firefighters to annual refresher courses such as the upcoming drill total $20,000 and should also be reimbursed.

JOURNAL-NEWS: Councilman interested in Butler EMA position

Middletown Councilman Bill Becker has submitted his resume to be the Butler County Emergency Management Agency.

Becker confirmed Tuesday, Jan. 27, that he has contacted the Butler County Commission of his interest in the position.

Becker, who was elected as an at-large member of council in 2007, has also served as Middletown's police chief and city manager.

EMA Director Bill Turner submitted his resignation earlier this month. His resignation will be effective March 2.

READING EABLE: New Berks County emergency services center has elbow room and lots of computers

Berks County, PA - A display tallies the number of 9-1-1 and nonemergency calls that come in on each shift.

The people answering the calls have elbow room and computers pinpointing the location of every emergency call.

What used to be a room with tables, chairs, telephones and a few computers in an old building now is a modern emergency operations center with computer terminals at all 52 work stations.

Its large computerized screens were activated this week to display information when Interstate 78 was shut down after a 23-car pileup in bad weather.

All those functions are together in one room now because Berks County's 9-1-1 center and emergency management agency merged last month.

MSNBC: Howard County EMA employees fired over 'dumb mistake'

Kokomo - There's trouble for two Howard County EMA officers after they were caught with a county vehicle in a place the EMA director says they shouldn't have been.

"Everybody makes mistakes, but this was a dumb mistake," said Larry Smith, the director of the Howard County Emergency Management Agency.

Smith says on Monday he received pictures of one of the county's EMA vehicles parked outside an adult novelty store in Muncie, Delaware County.

"I wasn't real happy when I saw 'em," said Smith.

"Our rules state that you don't leave Howard County in an emergency vehicle or in a squad car unless I know about it, I've advised that they can or one of my staff officers advised that they can," added Smith.

Smith says the pictures were taken last weekend and ended up in his hands. Smith says he tracked down the person who had permission to use the county car for the weekend and asked him to sign a written statement saying he had the car the entire time.

"When he got all done, I showed him the pictures," said Smith.

Another clue was a discrepancy between the mileage that the employee wrote down and the actual mileage that had been put on the vehicle over the weekend.

According to Smith, that employee wasn't alone. Another EMA employee went with him. Smith says he hopes this incident doesn't reflect poorly on the department. Both of the men have been let go. Smith says they won't be back.

HOMER HORIZON: Meet the EMA

Homer Glen's Emergency Management Agency is the one constant police and firefighters have come to expect during an emergency situation.

Whether aiding police at a crash scene or creating the village's disaster plan, the 12 members of the Emergency Management Agency have volunteered their time and talents to keep Homer Glen safe since 2001.

"They are a great resource to us," Homer Township Fire Protection District Chief Michael Schofield said. "If [the fire district] is ever overwhelmed we know the EMA will be there to offer assistance. Every village has an EMA but not every village uses theirs as much as we do. Our EMA is very active and we rely on them a great deal."