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The LBFD Celebrates National Public Safety Telecommunications Week
By frhayes | April 5, 2010
Real Long Beach Dispatch Audio – Lifesaving with CPR.
April 5, 2010, Long Beach, California -The Long Beach Fire Department is celebrating the second full week of April (April 11-17) as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.
Recent events have highlighted the work of telecommunications professionals at the LBFD. Through a mutual partnership with the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) the majority of 911-cell phone calls are now being handled by these two agencies to increase the efficiency in which emergency resources are dispatched to requests for assistance.
The LBFD dispatchers are also unique in the fact that they are ” Emergency Medical Dispatchers” while many agencies only ask the basic questions of what the emergency is and where to send fire department units. Every LBFD dispatcher is trained to ask specific questions in regard to the problem, such as is the patient breathing? is there severe bleeding? etc. Then based on the answers they can instruct the caller on how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), give information on how to clear a possibly obstructed airway, or control bleeding. These are just a few examples of what type of service these individuals deliver on a daily basis.
These dispatchers have undoubtedly saved lives, reduced the potential for increased injuries, and have eased suffering through their direct interventions. Currently they are all working long hours, while maintaining a very professional demeanor to ensure that the service of the LBFD is maintained at its industry-leading standard.
Members from the LBFD thank the dispatchers and staff for their continued hard work, dedication, ability to remain calm while multi-tasking, providing clear and concise dispatch information to responding units, and taking care of requests in a timely manner.
About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO serves the professional needs of its 16,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.
For more information, visit www.apcotelecomweek.org.
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