Latest news with #E911
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County 911 dispatchers get closure after meeting Matt Reum, trapped in his pickup for six days
It takes a special person not only to do the job of the 911 dispatcher, remaining cool under pressure for 12-hour shifts, but also to accept not knowing what becomes of the people you're helping after your colleagues arrive on scene and the call ends. Wednesday afternoon in celebration of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Porter County E911 dispatchers enjoyed some rare closure with a visit from the survivior of one of the more dramatic emergencies they've worked and the men who found him. Matt Reum, of South Bend, was found by two fishermen under the Salt Creek Bridge on westbound Interstate 80/94 on the afternoon of Dec. 26, 2023, having been pinned by the engine block of his pickup truck for six days. Mario Garcia, of Hobart, and his son-in-law Nivardo De La Torre, of Portage, saw his barely-visible truck thanks to late-afternoon sun glinting off the metal. Upon closer investigation they found Reum inside and unconscious. 'I just seen the airbag and then I got the chills,' Garcia said. Reum soon woke up and was very happy to see them having survived on water he filtered through a pair of sweatpants as it dripped from a highway drainage pipe just above his sunroof. De La Torre called 911 and got Porter County E911 Dispatch Supervisor Jeremy Nemeth on the line. 'You were an amazing caller!' Nemeth praised him as De La Torre's wife, children, and mother-in-law looked on. 'He used a really revolutionary technology to locate you,' E911 Director Debby Gunn told De La Torre. 'It's called Rapid SOS.' Reum said he didn't realize how hard the terrain his truck had rolled down until he visited the site last month. Firefighters had to cut a path through brush to get to him. 'Looking at the pictures and everything, that was a complex rescue,' Nemeth agreed of the scene handled by Portage Police and Fire and Burns Harbor Fire Department. Nemeth said it was random that he picked up the call that day and everyone in the dispatch center helped out on the call. 'It literally takes the whole team to get this accomplished,' he said. 'We're always helping each other out.' 'Jeremy's a unicorn. Aside from a dispatcher, he's also a volunteer firefighter,' Gunn said of Nemeth, who was voted Dispatcher of the Year by his peers. Despite 13 years as a dispatcher and 12 as a volunteer firefighter with the Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force, Reum's visit was the first time Nemeth got to follow up with someone he'd assisted. 'A lot of calls, we never know what happens in the end,' he said. While follow-up stories in The Post-Tribune documented Reum's survival, it was touch and go for a bit following his rescue. 'The firefighters, they didn't think I was going to make it to the hospital once the engine was taken off my legs,' he said. Reum survived being airlifted and a stay in intensive care that included the amputation of his left leg at the knee. He had 18 breaks to bones of his right hand and had reconstructive surgery last month to repair tears to every ligament in his thumb, as well as muscle tears. He still has to have a rod in his hand removed, but that hasn't stopped him from taking up writing. Reum published a book, 'Still Standing: The Seven Miracles of Matthew Reum.' That has led to some speaking engagements that have helped fill the days as the former boilermaker ponders a new career. 'Workwise, I can't physically do like I did before,' said the 28-year-old, who has a long life ahead that he hopes will include the launch of a non-profit to provide prosthetic limbs to the homeless. 'I don't think anybody can go through something like this and not have an appreciation for life,' he said. And for those who helped save it. 'I don't think there's enough ways for languages to say, 'Thank you,'' Reum said.
Chicago Tribune
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County election board gets update on equipment damage from burst pipe
Last month's flood that hit the Porter County Elections & Registration Office has left the staff high and dry, still homeless until repairs are completed. Some of the election machinery has been damaged, too. A burst water pipe caused an estimated $1 million in damage, not including the election equipment. The county Election Board heard an update Thursday about the damage. Porter County Clerk Jessica Bailey said 203 of the ballot-marking devices failed, although 100 are still functional. Fewer than five of the tabulation machines are damaged, but the boxes that housed them haven't fared as well. Two of the electronic poll books aren't functional. One had water raining on it from the burst water pipe, Elections & Registration Director Sundae Schoon said. Election Board President Paul Rausch asked if the insurance payment would be pro-rated based on the age of the equipment. The insurance company has yet to determine how much it will pay as it continues to process the claim, Schoon said. The vendor for that equipment has assured that it can replace what's damaged, Schoon said. Porter resident Jennifer Klug asked whether President Donald Trump's recent executive order regarding election equipment and procedures will mean replacing the existing equipment. 'I vote all the time,' Klug said, and didn't want a disruption. The vendor has assured that the replacement equipment will be fully compliant with any mandates in accordance with Trump's executive order, and the existing equipment's software can be updated easily, Bailey said. As the office is being put back together, the county plans to implement recommendations by the federal Cyber Infrastructure Security Agency to both secure the equipment and protect staff and voters' privacy. That includes preventing visitors from seeing information on workers' computer monitors. The extensive damage caused by the broken water pipe included soaking drywall several feet up from the floor, Schoon said. Until the office is put back together, staff members are working in temporary accommodations elsewhere. Some equipment for the E911 dispatch operation also housed in the building was damaged, but calls continued to go through using backup equipment. The Election Board also levied a series of fines for delinquent campaign finance reports, formally adopting findings of fact from last week. Fined were campaign committees for Tyler Brock, $150; Barb Domer, $300; Victoria Gresham, $250; John McGraw, $150; Lance Raphael, $1,000; Anthony Wire, $1,000; and Hannah Trueblood, $300.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chatham 911 Center reports improvements in process times, staffing, abandoned calls
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — The Chatham County Emergency 911 Center is reporting improvements in process times, staffing and abandoned calls. WSAV told you last year about concerns with the E911 Center. Then, some people were said they had to wait up to 30 minutes for a call taker to pick up. WSAV took those viewer concerns to management at the center. Now, E911 Deputy Director Russ Palmer is reporting progress. 'We've seen a decrease in our process times year over year. We're excited to see that continue moving forward,' Palmer said. In 2023, 15% of E911 calls were abandoned or left unanswered. This includes caller hang ups. 'We've actually had a 23 percent reduction in our abandoned call rate,' Palmer said. He attributes this change to having an almost full staff of 107 people. 'We have eight vacancies right now, so that's absolutely amazing compared to the last time we talked about it,' Palmer said. E911 Director Diane Pickney said they'll be able to expand their staff even more with the new E911 facility, which is still in the proposal process. 'With the population growth in Chatham County, it has made it necessary for us to over-hire when it comes to call taking staff. So, we're kind of quickly running out of space,' Pickney said. According to Palmer, the E911 center is averaging about 1,500 calls a day. He said this is a high amount, but their Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system makes the job easier. Total abortion ban in Ga? Advocates talk new bill in state house SC Bill: Law Enforcement training for individuals with autism Battle over proxy voting for new parents intensifies in House GOP Bluffton protects environment with improved wetlands ordinance Pooler mayor talks new developments, improvement projects 'It allows alarm companies to directly enter their calls into the system instead of a member of our staff having to answer those calls,' Palmer said. 'Last year, that saved us almost 5,000 minutes of talk time.' The 24-person Non-emergency Center has helped to lower the E911 call volume. Palmer said the Next Generation 911 Project will upgrade their phone system, 'Which is going to allow us to gather caller location more accurately. It's going to allow us to share calls between jurisdictions that might get us routed more easily, but it also provides more sustainability and redundancy for the county cell system.' There's no timeline yet on the new E911 center. WSAV will provide updates as we receive them on the new center. The directors wanted to remind folks to help them out as well. If you need assistance but your situation isn't life threatening, call their non-emergency line at 912-652-6500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
18-02-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Burst water heater pipe floods Porter County election office, damages 911 circuit room
A fail in a sautered joint on piping to a water heater at the main floor Porter County Elections & Registration Office likely caused over $1 million in damages Sunday according to the county's Facilities Director Joe Wiszowaty. That's in addition to any damages that may be found to more than 460 voting machines stored in the basement where the water trickled down at 157 Franklin St. The damage could have been even worse if facilities staff hadn't shown up at the building's east entrance to shovel snow Sunday evening around 6 p.m. 'There was literally a river of water coming out the back,' Wiszowaty said. Water dripping into the basement circuit room for the E911 department caused the county to lose communication with the Indiana Public Safety Commission tower. 'When that happens we are no longer connected throughout the state,' said E911 Director Debby Gunn. 'Fortunately we have a really robust redundancy system.' That allowed first responder radios to continue communicating throughout the county. 'We were never at any point without radio communication,' Gunn said. The county was, however, on backup as it awaited a tech's arrival to change out a circuit. Gunn explained that responsibility for her department's physical service by a T1 line into the building is shared by AT&T and Frontier. 'We have to contact AT&T and they have to contact Frontier,' she said. As the 24-hour mark on backup approached she began putting pressure on the vendors to speed up their protocol. A tech came out Monday evening and took 15 to 20 minutes to replace the damaged circuit. 'They are very familiar with our redundancy out here, so they knew we were on backup,' Gunn said. Porter County Clerk Jessica Bailey, who oversees the Elections Office, said it's estimated 200 gallons of water per minute were gushing from the faulty pipe for about two hours before it was discovered, leaving six inches of water throughout the office. 'It's a blessing this wasn't last year,' she said, referring not only to it not being an election year, unless a special election is called, but also to the fact that the county's paper records from the 1970s through 2017 were stored in the basement until last year. The records were moved out before the 2024 elections to make way for the over 460 voting machines that have to be stored between elections. 'They all have to be analyzed because of the amount of the moisture that was in the air,' she said. They'll be moved to a climate-controlled location for that analysis. Porter County Director of Elections & Registration Sundae Schoon said it will not take long to receive replacements should any of the machines be inoperable. She and her staff were in the ruined office Tuesday morning continuing to retrieve salvageable equipment to transfer to their temporary quarters in the Clerk's Office on the second floor of the courthouse on the square in Valparaiso. Staff spent President's Day moving into the temporary quarters. 'The facilities department is phenomenal,' Schoon said of their help. Four full-time staffers will work from the courthouse, while Schoon and the deputy director will work a hybrid schedule between there and their homes. Four part-time staffers will work on an on-call basis. Bailey is estimating the temporary location will be necessary for about three months, pending feedback from insurance adjusters. Staff from Tudor Restoration and Absolutely Dry have been on hand ripping up flooring, drilling holes in the walls to help them dry out, and running fans. Testing for mold will also be done. All the work comes less than a year after the space was remodeled to make way for the elections staff to move last spring from the administration building at 155 Indiana Ave., where the office was located on the lower level. Originally Published: February 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM CST
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's that quick': New technology in Hampton Roads 911 call centers could save time and lives
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — This time last year, if you tried to call 911, the call taker would get your phone number and an estimated idea of where you were. When you're trying to get police or fire to your location, every second counts. Taking the time to explain the situation when you're in shock or having a medical emergency may not be possible. Thanks to new technology, call takers will not only be able to see exactly where you are in real-time, but also any medical history you choose to share using your phone. It's all possible through , a software used by public safety agencies such as Norfolk Emergency Services. 'It's called RapidSOS,' said Steven Summerlin, operations supervisor for E911 with the Norfolk Police Department. 'It's something that most Apple phone users have on their phone. They just have to allow that information to be available to us.' Previously: Southside cities enter 911 call center agreement From medical information to location details, the information can be lifesaving. The location features can provide blueprints from participating schools of their campus, and even live updates if you're walking or are in a moving vehicle. What if you're in a high-rise building and aren't sure what floor you're on? They've got that covered too — by being able to see your altitude. 'If you're in a building downtown, and you didn't know which floor you were on, we can look at the altitude, give that to fire-rescue personnel and say, 'Hey, we have a caller calling from this altitude,'' Summerlin said. 'They would have the ability to try to estimate where that is, so we're not searching multiple floors for no reason.' Some Norfolk private schools have already provided their blueprints to E911, allowing them to respond to calls more efficiently. For example, if E911 gets a call from a student who says they're in the art classroom, the call taker and first responders can see from the caller's location and the blueprint where that is in the school. This helps responding police or fire-rescue crews know exactly what area to stage at and enter the school, because they can access the same information while getting to the caller's location. Whether you have an Android or an Apple phone, the location services are already on for you. If you need to share any kind of health information, you can input that as well. It does look different depending on the phone type you use. In the near future, call takers will also have access to view responding police officers' body cameras on their computer screens after assigning an officer to a call. Stay with for more local news, weather and traffic. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
