Latest news with #PSAP
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Can women get prostate cancer? Understanding the ‘female prostate', its function, and the rare risk of Skene's gland tumours
Female prostate cancer Most people learn in biology class that the prostate is unique to men. Yet human anatomy holds a small surprise: at the front wall of the vagina sits a pair of glands, the Skene's glands, that share many features with the male prostate. They contain the same enzymes (prostate-specific antigen and PSA phosphatase), may swell or become infected, and in exceptional cases can turn cancerous. According to Medical News Today, a 2017 literature review put the lifetime risk of true 'female prostate cancer' at a fraction of one percent of all genitourinary cancers in women. Still, because symptoms mimic more common problems such as cysts or recurrent urinary-tract infections, early tumours can be missed. Knowing what the female prostate does, how cancer might develop, and when to seek testing helps demystify a condition that—while rare—deserves a place on every clinician's diagnostic radar. What does the female prostate (Skene's glands) actually do Researchers using MRI and 3-D ultrasound have mapped these pea-sized glands around the urethra. The Skene's tissue produces a thin, alkaline fluid high in PSA—the same marker doctors track in men. Studies suggest this fluid may help protect the urinary tract from infection, contribute to arousal lubrication, and explain the G-spot's sensitivity. In people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) the glands are often enlarged, hinting that hormonal shifts influence their growth. How common is female prostate cancer According to Medical News Today, a 1994 database review found that Skene's gland tumours made up roughly 0.003 % of all documented cancers of the female urinary or genital tract—fewer than one case per 30 million women. Later reports confirm its rarity but caution that some urethral or vaginal cancers may originate in Skene's tissue and be mislabeled. Because awareness is low, pathologists now stain suspicious biopsies for PSA to avoid missed diagnoses. Female prostate cancer symptoms that overlap with more common conditions Palpable mass or firm lump near the vaginal opening Pain or burning during sex or urination Recurrent UTIs that resist standard antibiotics Unusual discharge sometimes streaked with blood These signs also occur with Skene's cysts, abscesses, or simple urethritis, which is why persistent symptoms after routine treatment should prompt imaging or referral to a uro-gynaecologist. Female prostate cancer diagnosis relies on PSA staining and imaging Pelvic MRI can reveal a solid lesion within the gland, but definitive diagnosis comes from a biopsy stained for PSA or PSAP. Elevated serum PSA has been reported in case studies, yet most clinicians use it only to monitor confirmed tumours, not to screen healthy women—the false-positive rate would be too high. Treatment mirrors protocols for other glandular cancers Because data are sparse, doctors adapt guidelines from urethral and prostate oncology: Surgical excision with clear margins is the primary approach for localised disease. Radiation or platinum-based chemotherapy may follow for aggressive histology or regional spread. Long-term outcomes are hard to predict, but individual case reports describe disease-free intervals of five years or more with early surgery. Female prostate cancer Related FAQs Do all women have a female prostate? Yes. The Skene's glands are part of typical female anatomy, though size varies from barely visible to several millimetres. Can a standard PSA blood test detect Skene's gland cancer early? Not reliably. PSA can rise from infection, cysts, or breast cancer; routine screening would create more confusion than benefit. It is mainly used to monitor known tumours. Are Skene's cysts precancerous? No. Cysts result from blocked ducts and carry no proven link to malignancy, but chronic inflammation may mask an underlying tumour, so persistent or recurrent cysts should be biopsied. Does PCOS increase the risk of female prostate cancer? Current studies show larger Skene's glands in PCOS, yet no direct rise in cancer incidence. Research is ongoing. What specialist treats Skene's gland disorders? Uro-gynaecologists and urologists with female pelvic-floor training typically manage diagnosis and surgery for Skene's conditions. Also read | Hair loss in females: 7 vitamin and mineral deficiencies every woman should check
Hamilton Spectator
22-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Intrado's AI Voice Translation and Transcription Technology Speeds 9-1-1 Response
LONGMONT, Colo., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intrado Life & Safety, Inc. (Intrado) , the leader in 9-1-1 communications and technology, today announced the availability of AI-powered Voice-to-Text (VTT) translation and transcription technology. AI supports emergency response and enables public safety answering points (PSAPs) to seamlessly communicate with callers in over 40 languages, helping diverse communities across the United States and Canada. Intrado's AI VTT translation and transcription solution will be available for demonstration at APCO 2025 from July 27-30. Intrado's AI VTT translation and transcription technology is designed to work on both legacy and Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) network infrastructure, providing all PSAPs with Intrado VIPER or VIPER NextGen TM the ability to efficiently communicate with a large number of emergency callers. The solution presents PSAP users with a live conversation transcript containing translations in both the caller's and telecommunicator's native languages. From the perspective of the 9-1-1 caller, the translation is immediate and communicated audibly, preventing conversation delays and reducing time-to-response. 'Our intuitive, near real time translation and transcription capabilities leverage the latest advancements in AI and natural language processing,' said Brian Davenport, Chief Strategy Officer at Intrado. 'It's integrated directly into 9-1-1 telecommunicator workflows, and users can quickly respond to non-English speakers without engaging a separate application or third-party interpreter.' VTT transcription and translation enable 9-1-1 telecommunicators to transfer calls more effectively without compromising precision or reliability. Automated language detection and translation also reduces the stress associated with communicating in a foreign language to those experiencing an emergency. '9-1-1 telecommunicators are essential to the protection of those who depend on fast emergency response in situations when every second counts,' said Andrew Knapp, Director for Hamilton County Emergency Communications in Ohio. 'We look forward to the opportunities Intrado's translation technology offers to enhance how we serve our community and support the well-being of our PSAP staff.' For more information about Intrado's AI VTT translation and transcription technology, visit: . About Intrado Intrado is the essential partner for those committed to saving lives and protecting communities anywhere in the world. As a leading global provider of trusted emergency response solutions, Intrado improves public safety outcomes by connecting help to those in need. The company blends legacy intelligence, modern technology, and passionately dedicated people to create end-to-end solutions that are innovative, resilient, intuitive, and insightful. For more information, visit . Media Contact IntradoPR@
Hamilton Spectator
16-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
How two women drifting for hours on paddleboards were rescued on Lake Ontario
They'd been drifting for hours, trying to convince themselves not to panic, as they faced heavy winds and waves that sent them farther from shore. The water on Lake Ontario — calm when they set out on paddleboards that afternoon — was becoming increasingly choppy, adding to their worries. And to make matters worse, Cassidy Collerman and her friend did not have life-jackets when they set out on the water, off Van Wagners Beach Boulevard, near Lakeland Pool, the afternoon of June 3. When the winds first changed, they tried to paddle back to shore, but after an hour, 20-year-old Collerman said they knew they were in trouble. The waves were just too big. The women, both good swimmers, didn't consider trying to swim because the water was cold and they feared developing hypothermia. So they tied their boards together to make sure they didn't drift apart and, eventually, Collerman called 911 around 5 p.m. 'We were very embarrassed of the situation we got ourselves into,' she said. She told dispatch they were sorry. She was sure 'saving girls from lakes' is not what police want to be doing. As luck would have it, Hamilton's 911 system had just switched that morning to a digital system, called Next Generation 911 (NG-911). Among its features is more accurate location pinpointing, Lisa Osika, the PSAP (public safety answering point) co-ordinator for Hamilton police, previously told The Spectator. It allowed Hamilton police to find their location, off the shore near Beach Boulevard. Officers soon arrived and could see the women floating in the distance. But Collerman said they could not see flashing lights from the water. Still on the phone with dispatch, the women drifted out of sight from the officers on shore. Enter their second bit of luck that day. After finding their initial location, dispatch then used a public safety program called RapidSOS, which in Canada only works on Apple's iOS operating system. Hamilton police opted in to using the program before the NG-911 switch. Once activated, it left a 'bread crumb trail' for rescuers to follow, with the women getting text updates as rescuers set out to find them. Hamilton police contacted the coast guard, who were the closest rescuers to the girls. People on a sailboat also came upon them and circled their location to make it easier for the coast guard to spot them as they approached. 'We were pretty cold, especially toward the end,' Collerman said, adding that the waves kept getting bigger and almost flipped their boards. The two friends kept telling each other to breathe, willing themselves to stay calm despite 'somewhat panicking.' They called a friend while on the water to let her know what was going on. They didn't tell their parents until they were safely back on land. The coast guard was very nice and had blankets and other items for them on their boat. They towed the women's paddleboards. Collerman isn't sure exactly where they were when rescued but they were floating toward Toronto. Cassidy Collerman and a friend (centre) on land with their coast guard rescuers after spending four hours drifting on paddleboards on Lake Ontario. In all, they drifted about four hours, including three hours after calling 911. It took about a 45-minute boat ride to get back to Hamilton, where the coast guard members kindly waited with them until their rides arrived and posed for a picture. Collerman said they 'definitely learned some life lessons' from the ordeal. This includes making sure to have life-jackets and to always check the weather before heading out on the water. Had they checked, they would have seen the wind was going to change while they were out on the water. Collerman bought her paddleboard a couple of months ago and has been using it regularly, but never on Lake Ontario. It was her friend's first time trying out her new paddleboard. 'It was the first and last time' they will use them on the large lake, she said. The Hamilton police marine unit , which works closely with the coast guard, is no stranger to water rescues. Officers regularly patrol Hamilton Harbour and the lake for unsafe behaviour and respond to emergencies. In July 2020, a family in a giant floating flamingo was rescued after they were unable to paddle back to shore. Other rescue attempts have ended tragically, including in July 2023 when a 1 4-year-old Hamilton boy out on the lake in an inflatable with other teens near Hamilton Beach died after he was pulled under by high waves. Not checking the weather, particularly wind conditions, and not having flotation devices or other required safety equipment are among the top mistakes on the water reported by police. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A vital connection: Telecommunicators honored during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Apr. 12—When there is an emergency and somebody needs help from law enforcement, fire department or ambulance, there is generally one voice a caller will hear first — a public safety telecommunicator (PST). For years the PST has been the calming voice on the other end of an emergency whose job it is to get help to the caller as quickly as possible, but the span of that work is much broader than people likely realize. "We have a lot of things that are being thrown at us constantly," said Tracy Hauschildt, Mower County Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) supervisor. "There is radio traffic and there are at least seven different talk groups we're constantly monitoring. And then we have the happy people, angry people, sad people and those are constantly coming at us too." PSTs generally work behind the scenes, taking calls and distributing information from the PSAP, or hub of the law enforcement network. Overseen by the Mower County Sheriff's Department, there are currently 11 PSTs, though the aim is to have 12 at the end of the day. However, Hauschildt, along with Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik, are hoping to highlight the work that the PSTs do each day with a new pitch to bring them more fully into the public eye. April 13-19 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and serves as a reminder of how important the PST is. While the week itself isn't new, having originated in the 1980s, it does coincide nicely with the effort locally to get PSTs recognized by the general public. "For me, I think it would be important to get them out there more," Hauschildt said. "I do think it's important for them to have more of a face out there. They're not appreciated the way they should be. They're the unsung heroes of this community and I really do stand by that. Were we only able to get them out there more there would be more of an understanding of why they do the things that they do." Broadly speaking, it's a lot. Calls for assistance in one way or another come into the PSAP hub on a fairly steady basis and can involve everything from animal complaints to a variety of 911 calls. But it's the numbers themselves that can tell the story as easily as anything. In 2023, Mower's PSAP administration line received 34,555 calls, a number that more than tripled in 2024 when telecommunicators received 105,398 calls. On the 911 line, calls again tripled from 12,967 calls in 2023 to 35,474 in 2024. "It's so much information constantly being given to us," Hauschildt said. "We have so much of a time frame that we want to get that help to you as quickly as possible. Our actual goal is to get in the first two minutes of the phone call your location, name, what's going on and get your first response sent to you." Even for those who are responding to the calls telecommunicators dispatch out, the work can seem at times as overwhelming. For years, Sandvik re membered when it was just one person taking calls and how they would stop in to relieve the person if a break was needed. "I would go in and take the microphone for them," Sandvik said. "I have done that for years and years until probably the last four, five years. You go in and look at those six screens: I can't do what you do and I can't provide ancillary information. It just can't be done without that high level training and competency in the multi-tasking environment." "Their ability to calmly multi-task within the incident and everything else that is going on at the time is absolutely unbelievable," he continued. "I'm in awe every time I see it or hear it." A telecommunicator herself, Hauschildt knows what that volume of calls can be like on a daily basis. She came to the position after spending time as an ER tech at Mayo Clinic Health Care System-Austin. She remembers hearing the calls come across the line at the hospital and how intrigued she was about becoming a part of that. "I wanted to know what all of those 10-codes were," she said. "I think that was when my first interest peaked." Even after she has become the supervisor, Hauschildt said she is impressed each day by what the telecommunicators work through. She went on to say that the position comes with a never-ending need to continue learning. "It's been interesting," she said. "It's been a lot of learning. I'm constantly learning on a daily basis." A change of title, a change in job outline For years, those working within the PSAP were known as dispatchers, but that's been changing over the years simply because the word "dispatch" has been too broad of term and didn't rightly identify what it was that telecommunicators were doing. "I don't like that phrase," Hauschildt said. "I think until that mindset changes, things aren't going to change." A survey done in Minnesota identified that it was too vague a term and so the move was made to focus on the public safety aspect of their jobs. Now work has shifted to try and bring PSTs fully into the law enforcement circle and identify them as first responders. "They are vitally important," Sandvik said. "They are our first responders. They are our first contact on every emergency, every call for service whether it's an emergency or a question. They are that contact voice for everyone, whether they reside here or are traveling through to get the help they need or alert people to an emergency situation." For the last few years, efforts have been focused on both the state and federal levels to get telecommunicators recognized as first responders, meaning in part, their pensions would be categorized the same as fire, law enforcement and ambulance. For Sandvik, it's a matter of recognizing their importance. "They are part of my sheriff's office team and I consider no part of the team any less important than any other one," he said. "Each and every aspect of our office has very difficult jobs. Theirs is unique. You don't get to see the person, you only hear them." A part of team One of the aspects of being a telecommunicator is the unknown detail. The PSTs will get the call, dispatch accordingly and then often can be left out of the final resolution of whatever situation that may entail. That's despite dealing with much of what responders are facing. "Stress and mental health studies show how mental health and stress is the same for telecommunicators as it is for the officers on scene," Hauschildt said. "The only thing is that the telecommunicators don't have the pictures. They don't have the story in front of them to actually get the closure they need." When you add the information of what is flowing through the PSAP, the work can become even more daunting. "Their job is so difficult," Sandvik said. "They have to glean information on your worst day. All the while other phones are ringing, there's multiple 911 lines going on and multiple administrative lines." At the same time there is an enormous sense of pride. "Now seeing the other side of it, I see truly how much work it is on their side," Hauschildt said. "Yes, I did it at one point, but now I see as I'm trying to teach others as well just what it takes for them to do it and how steady they have to be and how quick they have to be in doing it all." "I can honestly say, when I go to other PSAP centers and speak about my own center, I do have a lot of pride and joy in my crew," she added.
Chicago Tribune
03-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
LakeComm dispatch center on track for summer start
LakeComm, which aims to consolidate emergency dispatch centers across Lake County under one roof, is on track to begin some level of operations this summer, officials say. Seven dispatch centers will be transitioned into the new 37,000-square-foot Regional Operations and Communications Facility in Libertyville over several weeks, possibly by July, according to LakeComm Executive Director Jason Kern. Those are the Gurnee, CenComm, FoxComm, Lake Zurich, Vernon Hills, Mundelein and Countryside Fire dispatch centers. Plans for the consolidation of Lake County's 911 services go back more than a decade. LakeComm is the culmination of those efforts, merging several regional Public Safety Answer Points (PSAP) into one dispatch center. PSAPs are 911 call centers that handle emergency calls for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services. Kern said there is still a 'significant amount' of technology requiring installation through the end of May, although it will be contingent on a variety of factors, including equipment supplies, and the potential impacts on the supply chain from tariffs. There are currently 26 LakeComm members representing communities and organizations across Lake County, and Kern said he envisions 'additional agencies and dispatch centers in the years to come.' A notable missing partner has been the Sheriff's Office, which pulled out of the consolidation last year. However, talks have been ongoing, representatives for both groups said. According to Deputy Chief Chris Covelli, while the Sheriff's Office's position remains 'unchanged,' it continues to be 'collaborative and communicative.' Covelli said Sheriff's Office officials have met with LakeComm representatives and Kern, and remain 'open-minded and engaged in discussions that prioritize public safety.' 'Our priority is making responsible decisions that best serve the safety of the hundreds of thousands of residents to whom we provide direct law enforcement services, as well as the entire county, which benefits from other services provided by the Sheriff's Office,' Covelli said in a statement. Last fall, LakeComm board members expressed concerns over future staff numbers. Kern said officials are seeing a high degree of interest from currently employed public safety telecommunicators, and expect to see lots of transfers during the transition. Kern said that will provide the benefit of reducing needed training, as the new facility will have similar or even identical systems to the currently existing dispatch centers. LakeComm is also working on attracting new staff, he said. Part of the transition process early on will be determining how many people will be needed to keep up with calls. 'We're going to look really hard at the data to see what are the phone calls, what are the call processing times,' he said. 'Do we have the right number? Do we need to increase?' Kern said the consolidation offers numerous benefits for the Lake County community and emergency responders. Bringing numerous dispatches under one roof will allow a 'significant amount' of 'interoperability,' allowing better awareness, communication when addressing incidents that cross jurisdictions and reducing transfer times. 'It's a benefit for the caller because often, when they're calling, it's the worst day of their life,' he said. The merger will also help reduce equipment costs, which have only grown since the pandemic, by cutting down on seven separate phone systems with their own servers, generators and supporting equipment.
