By Stephen Smoot
As waves of new technology continue to shape and change how 911 operates both locally and nationwide, local systems must work to maintain what they have historically done well. They must also continue to address needs on a regular basis to keep pace with the expectations of regulators.
Pendleton 911 has accomplished this and also received recognition in Charleston for that accomplishment.
“We are proud of our 911 personnel for working as a team to make this accreditation happen,” shared Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator. He added that “this is a recently implemented program of accreditation and . . . Pendleton was one of five West Virginia counties to receive any of the levels of certification.”
The awards came during a West Virginia 911 Council meeting held at Kanawha County Metro 911. That facility earned a Level Two certification with Level One the highest level to achieve.
Gillespie praised “our E-911 Center director Diana Mitchell and our dedicated 911 personnel for working hard to achieve WV-911 Council Accreditation Level Three.”
Mitchell discussed the importance of accreditation in a rapidly changing landscape of technology and expectations from both government and the public. Earned accreditation status can give the public confidence that the center has a certain level of response and assistance capability.
She shared that the process of earning accreditation brings up the standard of service and helps to enhance public trust in the system. Since a 911 facility must stay abreast of changes, improvement is continual. “We have to be proactive,” shared Mitchell. She added that “we do massive amounts of trainings constantly to keep these certifications up” that telecommunicators need to perform at their most capable.
Terry Ryan, one of Pendleton 911’s telecommunicators, spoke to the value of the trainings, saying, “It’s really paying off.”
Mitchell and her team also are diligent about attending and productively participating in West Virginia 911 Council meetings to resist institutional isolation and also to remain accountable.
Since the facility will have its accreditation reviewed every two years, as Mitchell shared, “We can’t rest on our laurels.” While a center could remain at Level Three, Mitchell has no plans to stand pat. Pendleton 911 does use a system of six different screens that populate vital information and helps the telecommunicator receive and share information effectively and efficiently. An added service that will soon help Pendleton 911 rise to the next tier will be the text to 911 option currently available in Kanawha County.
“I feel confident we will attain the higher level of accreditation once our Next Generation 911 system is in operation and a couple of other matters are addressed by our 911 personnel,” stated Gillespie. He said of Mitchell and her staff that “we appreciate your dedication to your jobs and the public we all serve.”
Earning Level Three accreditation means that Pendleton 911 has achieved a level of service and also institutional participation. The center must have a certain level of technological capability in place with personnel trained in both its use and the latest information and policies, including an identified level of wireless capability and enhanced 911 service.
Centers must also remain active dues paying members of the council with at least 75 percent of meetings during the year attended. Additionally, its reports to the Federal Communications Commission and also to the Statewide Addressing and Mapping System must come in on time. SAMS II reporting ensures that addresses and roadways are updated for Google and other search platforms.
One of the beneficiaries of Pendleton 911’s regimen in keeping apace of mandates and needs last week was West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner.
Many people imagine 911 as it was, simply a phone call to a dispatch center with a relay to first responders. Pendleton 911’s capacity helps to do more to ensure the best possible outcomes.
On his way to a series of events in Pendleton County, Warner lost control of his Suburban as he tried to turn the corner at Judy Gap to travel up North Mountain and flipped the car on its side.
As he described, “I have just learned Terry Ryan was the dispatcher that coordinated with Jarrod Summers (trained emergency responder and firefighter) in my office back in Charleston to identify my location on Rt. 33 who had heard the SOS call come in from my cell phone’s emergency response system.” Warner added in his Facebook post, “Thanks Terry and Jarrod.”
