| The Daily Record
WOOSTER — The Wooster-Ashland Regional Council of Governments (WARCOG) is demoing new 911 technology that allows callers to stream video and photos to dispatchers.
The software, 911eye, was established in England has been used by public service agencies for six years. WARCOG is one of four agencies in the United States demoing the technology, said Rhodes Walter, director of the dispatch center. The tool was discussed during the Tuesday afternoon WARCOG Zoom meeting.
Callers are often in a state of anxiety when calling 911, Walter said. Having this tool as an option gives dispatchers and first responders the opportunity to receive additional information by getting a visualization before arriving at the scene, he said.
According to the 911eye website, a link can be sent to the call via an SMS text message or email. Clicking the URL link will enable a secure, one-time-use live video stream. It also will send the dispatch center the caller’s location via GPS coordinates.
“I believe it has incredible value as a dispatch center for us to have an information source that doesn’t rely strictly on the caller’s ability to convey information,” Walter said. “We now have our ability to look at it visually and pull in information to share with our officers.”
WARCOG rolled out the demo Monday through a partnership with Critical Response Group Inc. Walter invited agencies to visit the center to learn more about the new tool. Ashland Fire Chief Rick Anderson and Orrville Police Chief Matt Birkbeck both went to WARCOG to learn more about the demo. Both said they were impressed with the quality of 911eye.
The video provided a clear picture with little to no lag, Anderson said.
Other action
WARCOG members approved a new part-time employee policy which defines compensation and expectations for part-time workers.
Under the new policy, part-time employees will be paid $14 hourly while undergoing training.
Walter said the agency has difficulty securing part-time workers because of the intense training required.
Part-time workers must undergo 440 hours of training before they are able to operate on their own, Walter said. This breaks down to a minimum of 24 hours per week for up to 17 weeks of training, he said. That kind of time commitment is difficult to swing for candidates with full-time jobs looking for a second source of income or are interested in learning more about the field, he said.
One candidate recently completed a shadow period of four hours with a WARCOG employee to help her get a feel for what the job requires.
Under the new part-time employee policy, new hires are informed of expectations, Walter said. Training is a significant time and financial investment into the work, he said. Because of this, part-timers are expected to work four shifts per month for at least two years, he said. The dispatching agency does not recoup the cost of training those part-time staffers until the two-year mark, Walter explained.
Once a part-time worker completes their training and begins working independently, compensation rises to $17 per hour — compared to $17.50 per hour for full-time employees. Weekend or holiday shifts — hours full-time workers like to have off — receive an extra $3 per hour.
— Reach Samantha at 330-287-1626 or [email protected]. On Twitter: @SamanthaKIckes.
