the official local psap news: new nena classes€¦ · the board and staff earned my respect and my...
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TheOfficialNewsletteroftheTennesseeEmergencyCommunicationsBoardServingthefirst,firstresponders.
LegislativeSessionBeginsJanuary10thmarkedthebeginningofthe2017legislativesession.AnticipatedemergencycommunicationslegislationincludestheTECB'sSunsetbillwhichextendstheboard'sexistencetoJune30,2021.ThebillwillgothroughtheGovernmentOperationsCommitteechairedbySenatorMikeBellandRepresentativeJeremyFaison.TheTECBwouldliketothankthegeneralassemblyfortheirsupporttothe911Board.
SunsetBill
DirectorofGovernmentAffairsAmberMcDonaldwithChairmanJeremyFaison
911BoardChairJenniferEstesandDirectorofGovernmentandExternalAffairsAmberMcDonaldvisitwithEconomicandCommunityDevelopmentCommissionerRandyBoydattheAT&Tlegislativereception.
911GoestoWashingtonDCTheTECBwillonceagainattend911GoestoWashingtonFebruary26th-March1st.Toregister,[email protected].
Registration
CommissionerMcPeakNamedNAICPresidentTDCI'sCommissionerJulieMcPeakwasrecentlynamedPresidentoftheNationalAssociationofInsuranceCommissioners(NAIC),thenation'sinsuranceregulatorysupportorganization.TheNAICistheU.S.standard-settingandregulatorysupportorganizationcreatedandgovernedbythechiefinsuranceregulatorsfromthe50states,theDistrictofColumbiaandthefiveU.S.territories.ThroughtheNAIC,stateinsuranceregulatorsestablishstandardsandbestpractices,conductpeerreview,andcoordinateregulatoryoversight.TheTECBwouldliketocongratulateCommissionerMcPeakonthisprestigioushonor.
TDCI'sCommissionerJulieMixMcPeak
McPeakContinued
TECBHiresNewGeneralCounselBenjaminGloverjoinstheTECBasitsnewGeneralCounsel.PriortojoiningtheTECB,Benworkedwithinsurance'sOfficeofLegalCounselasanAssistantGeneralCounsel.WhileinthatpositionheworkedintheDivisionofRegulatoryBoardsrepresentingmanyclients,includingtheTNBoardofAccountancy,TNBoardofArchitecturalandEngineeringExaminers,andtheDivisionofConsumerAffairs.RaisedinDurham,NorthCarolina,BenjaminmovedfromAsheville,NCtoattendlawschoolinNashville.Heismemberofthecharterclass(2014)ofBelmontUniversity’sCollegeofLaw.BenjaminlivesinEastNashvillewithhisgirlfriendanddogwhoalllovesailing,kayaking,andlivemusic.
BenjaminGlover
TechTipTechnicalDirectorEddieBurchellgivesyouthelatesttechnicaladvicetokeepyourPSAPrunningatitsbest.
EddieBurchelltalksabouttheimpactofweatheronyourgeneratorinthismonth'svideo.
WanttoScheduleaVisittoyourPSAP?
DirectorofAuditRobertMcLeodisavailabletovisityour911Centerandaddressallofyourauditingneeds.Forscheduling,[email protected]
LocalPSAPNews:Bristol911TheTECB'sAmberMcDonaldsatdownwith911DirectorVirginiaSmeltzerandwentbehindthescenesattheBristol911Center.
VirginiaSmelzerwithSullivanCounty911Director,IkeLowry
TeamBristol911
Q:Whatmadeyouwanttobecomea911director?
A:Ihavealwayshadaninterestandloveforpublicsafety.Iworkedparttimeforanambulanceserviceandwasavolunteerwitharescuesquadforyears.Ihavebeenareserveofficer.WhentheopeningcameupforanAssistantatSullivanCounty911(whileinthebuildingstages)Itookit.IwaswithSullivanCountyforsixyearsandlovedthework.IfeltlikeIhadfinallyfoundthetypeworkIhadlookedforforsolong.Thenthe911DistrictinSullivanCountywassplitbytheKingsportreferendumandthenbyBristol’sandtwooftheBristolchiefsaskedmetoconsiderthenewdirector’sjobinBristol.Ididandbecamethefirst911DirectorintheCityofBristolTennesseeinMay1994andwewentlivewithourown911systeminJuly1994.I'vebeenhereeversince.
Q:Whatisthemostchallengingdayyouhaveeverhad?
Ithinkeverydayisachallengebecausethereisalwayssomethingnewgoingon,anewproject,anewtrainingprogram,newequipment,newpersonnel,andonandonthelistgoes.IsetupamultiagencycommandcenteratBristolMotorSpeedwaytwiceayearandthatisverychallenging.WeoperatedasecondarycommunicationscenterintheMACCduringtheBattleofBristolballgameandthatwasquiteanexperience.AverydifferentcrowdandoneofthelargestcrowdsforanysportingeventinAmerica.Thecallswererollinginbuttheywereallprocessedsuccessfullyandattheendofday,thingsweregood.
Q:Ifyoucouldtellsomeonewantingacareerinpublicsafetyonebitofadvice,whatwoulditbe?
A:Don’tdoitunlessyouaretrulycommittedtotheworkandmakingadifference.Thisisnotajobtotakejusttodrawapaycheck.It’salmostawayoflifeandittakesdedicationandcommitmentbeyondanyjobIhaveeverhad.However,Iloveitandcan’timagineeverdoinganythingelse.Oh,andyoudon’tgetrichinthisfield,atleastnotinmoney.Theemotionalrewardandthesatisfactionyougetfromthejobandthepeopleyoudealwithisamazing.
Q:Whatmakesyour911teamsospecial?
Theyworkasateam.Theyhelpeachotherandtheyareallcommittedtodoingagreatjobandassistinganyoneinneed.Wegetveryfewcomplaintsandtheoneswedoareusuallyveryminor.Thistellsmeasmuchasanything,thattheseindividualsinthiscentergobeyondthenormaleverydayjobandprovidetruecustomerservice.Iseehowserioustheyareabouttheirjobandprovidingwhatevercareandassistancetheycantothoseinneed.Whenthingsdon’tgoright,IseeandfeeltheirpainbutIknowtheywillstriveevenhardertobethebest.
Q:Whyisthestate911boardandstaffimportanttoyou?
A:ThestateBoardandthestaffhavealwaysbeenaresourceforme.Theyhavealwaysbeentheretoprovideorhelpfindanswers.TheyprovideassistanceanytimeIhaveasked.TheypromotetheState911businessandbecauseofthemourstateisrecognizednationallyforouraccomplishmentsanddedicationtoservingthepublicandresponders.Anideaisonlyanideaifnoonedoesanythingwithit.However,that’snotthecasewiththeboardorthestaff,IhavemadesuggestionsandIknowofmanyothersthathaveandthoseideasarelookedatandinvestigatedandnotjustpushedtoside.Theboardandstaffhavesupportedmeonlegalandfinancialquestionsandissuesthathavearisenovertheyears.IwasnotsupportiveoftheBoardwhenitwasbeingproposedallthoseyearsago,butIcametoquicklyappreciatetheworkbeingdone.Theboardandstaffearnedmyrespectandmysupport.LookingbackIrealizethiswasoneofthebestthingsthatcouldhavehappenedto911inTennessee.
Q:Whatisonethingyouwouldlikethepublictoknowabout911?
A:That911folksarededicatedandwanttoserveandhelpthemwhateverthecrisis.Theytrainforit,rehearse,exercise,andpracticecalltakingsotheyarereadyforthatnextcall.Theyaretheunsungheroesandtheywanttoearnandcontinuetoearnthatdesignation.When911messesup,weallhurtandthenwepickourselvesup,dustoff,andworkevenhardertopreventfuturemessups.
Q:What'sthemostrewardingdayasa911directorhaveyouhad?
A:Iwouldhavealotofdifficultychoosingjustone.IlovewhatIdo,thepeopleIserve,andthepeopleIworkwithfromthedispatcherstotheresponderstotheothergovernmentagencies.Whenwemakeadifferenceinsomeone’slife,thatisaveryrewardingdayforallofus.WhenIseethesmileorthetearsofjoywhenoneofminedoessomethinganditallturnsoutright,IknowIhaveoneofthegreatestjobsintheworld.
IwillretireinthenextfewyearsandIalreadyfeelasadness.IwillmissthisworkandallthepeopleIhavecometoknowandloveoverthelast28years.Thishasneverbeenjustajobforme,it’sbeenawayoflifeandalovethathasgivenmesomuchovertheyears.
TohaveyourPSAPfeaturedinanupcoming911newsletter,[email protected]
NextBoardMeetingMay3,2017at9:30AM
500JamesRobertsonParkwayNashville,TN37243
.WhoAreWe?LearnmoreabouttheTECBby
clickingtheimagebelow
NewNENAClassesAnnounced
TheTECBandNENAhaveonceagainpartneredtobringadvanced911trainingtoTennessee.FundedbytheTECB,911professionalscansignupfreeofchargeforadvancededucation.VisittheTECBwebsiteforthenewclassschedule.
Signup
QuestionsabouttheNENAclasses?BarbaraShankcanaddressyouradvancededucationquestions.Barbara.Shank@tn.gov
TECBandTDMHSASJoinForces
TheDepartmentofMentalHealthandSubstanceAbuseServiceshasjoinedtheTECBinassisting911professionalswithadvancedmentalhealthandsubstanceabuseeducationandtraining.Regionalworkshopsanddetailstobeannounced.FormoreinformationontheTDMHSASclickonthelogobelow.
NextGenUpdateBelowisthestatusmapoftheNextGenstatusmapfromacrossthestate.Theprojectisat99%completion.
NextGenprojectmanagerChadBrothersisleavingComtechandjoiningMissionCriticalPartners.TheTECBwishesChadthebestinhisfutureendeavors.
Pink,LightBlue,Gray:Stage1
DarkRed,DarkBlue,White:Stage2
IndustryNews:
CanaglitchintheIphonecauseyourdevicetorepeatedlycall911?
Learnmorefromthismonth'semergencycommunicationsindustrynews.
ReadMore
MoneyMattersFiscalDirectorJimBarnesdiscussesfinancialmattersandnewpoliciespassedbythestate911board.
Clickonthismonth'svideoasJimaddressesexcessrevenue.
TECBonLocationFormerlyknownasMercyMinistries,TheTECB'sAmberMcDonaldvisitedMercyMultiplied,anonprofitorganizationdedicatedtohelpingyoungwomenbreakfreefromlife-controllingbehaviorsandsituations,includingeatingdisorders,self-harm,drugandalcoholaddictions,unplannedpregnancy,depression,sexualabuse,andsextrafficking.AmberspokeabouttheNextGen911projectandhownewtechnologywillallowwomenindomesticviolencealtercationsto"textto911"iftheyareunabletocall.Textto911isprojectedtolaunchinlate2017.
ReadMore:MercyMultiplied
AreyouaNewLocalBoardMemberor911Director?CheckoutourBoardMember101packettohelpyouwithallofyourcenter'sneeds.
BoardMember101
Can'tmakethe911StateBoardMeeting?Nottoworry,viewallpastandfutureLIVEmeetingsviathenetandlivestream.
WatchBoardMeetings
ContactingtheNOC
Reportoutages,[email protected]
AbouttheTennesseeDepartmentofCommerceandInsurance:TDCIischargedwithprotectingtheinterestsofconsumerswhileprovidingfair,efficientoversightandalevelfieldofcompetitionforabroadarrayofindustriesandprofessionalsdoingbusinessin
Tennessee.OurdivisionsincludetheAthleticCommission,ConsumerAffairs,TennesseeCorrectionsInstitute,EmergencyCommunicationsBoard,FirePrevention,Insurance,TennesseeLawEnforcementTrainingAcademy,PeaceOfficersStandards
andTraining,RegulatoryBoards,Securities,andTennCareOversight.
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