Still looking for applicants interested in a career in dispatching!

Have you thought about working in the field of public safety? Being a 9-1-1 dispatcher is a rewarding career for anyone who is interested in participating in the safety of their community. The job is perfect for detail-oriented people with proficient typing skills and the ability to stay focused and organized.

If you're interested in applying, you can find the County's employment application HERE. You'll need to either mail it in to the County Administrative Office at 62 Union Street in Rockland, ME 04841, or you can drop it off at the same location. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. Please attach a copy of your resume to your job application, as well as a cover letter explaining why you are interested in the job. Applications are due by 2 p.m. on Friday, July 15, 2016.

If you would like to see the dispatcher job description, you will find it at the same link as the job description. If you have any questions not answered by the job description, please send your question to Administrative Assistant Candice Richards at crichards@knoxcountymaine.gov.

Knox Regional Communications Center Open House - Saturday, April 16, 2016

The Knox regional Communications Center will host an Open House at their facility at 301 Park Street in Rockland on April 16^th between the hours of 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Tours of the Communications Center will provided by the staff. This is the first time a tour of the facility has been offered since the grand opening back on March 5, 2013. Visitors will get a chance to see the state of the art communications center where all 9-1-1 calls are processed. 

This tour will provide the opportunity to see where your 9-1-1 call goes to and the equipment used to process those calls. The staff of the 9-1-1 center provides the vital link between the citizens and the Public Safety services of the County. During the tour you will have the opportunity to learn more about the services provided by the center. The staff will also answer questions about career opportunities in the 9-1-1 Center and what it is like to be a dispatcher in this fast paced environment providing such an important service.

The open house will also feature the opportunity to see a Fire Truck, Ambulance and assorted Police vehicles on display in the parking lot. Public Safety personnel will be on hand to answer questions about their equipment and professions.

Weather permitting, Lifeflight of Maine will also have one of their helicopters on site for viewing. This is a very special opportunity for the public to see one of the helicopters up close.

Most people who need emergency medical care can be appropriately transported by ground ambulance. The sickest patients, however, need the critical care and speed that Lifeflight provides.

There will also be displays for viewing inside. The Knox County Amateur Radio Club will be staffing the mobile communications trailer and offering information about the local club and how to become a licensed amateur radio operator. Several members of the club work closely with public safety during major events to provide a secondary means of communication.

The KRCC staff will also be serving hot dogs, chips and soda throughout the event while supplies last. The staff has been working hard to plan this event to provide a unique inside look at public safety communications from the 9-1-1 call process to the service providers.

Looking for a rewarding career? Ever thought about being a full-time 9-1-1 Dispatcher?

The Knox Regional Communications Center (KRCC) is currently looking for eager, dedicated individuals interested in a career in emergency communications. Dispatchers handle requests for all law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services received via 9-1-1, telephone, intercom, and radio. The dispatcher also documents calls using computer software systems and established protocols. Dispatchers frequently interact with people who are agitated and under stress, and must have the ability to remain calm.

Applicants must be high school graduates or equivalent, be able to type at least 40 wpm, have excellent communication skills, and have no criminal record.  No prior experience is required, and the KRCC is willing to train a qualified candidate who is interested in emergency communications as a career.

The County provides an excellent benefits package to full-time employees including health insurance (100% paid for the employee, and 75% for family coverage), paid vacation and sick leave, retirement plan, and other voluntary benefits.

Interested applicants must complete a Knox County job application and either mail it to the Knox County Administrative Office at 62 Union Street in Rockland or drop it off in person at the same address. Application forms and job descriptions are available at the County Administrator’s office and on the County’s website: www.knoxcountymaine.gov. Emailed resumes will not be accepted as an application. You must submit an actual County application form. Any relevant certifications or training certificates should be submitted with your application. The County reserves the right to reject any and all applications and to select the most qualified applicant(s).

 

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/H

Mobile Apps and 9-1-1

While apps hold great promise for improving public safety and emergency response, much work remains to ensure apps intended to replace or augment a voice call to 9-1-1 are as secure and reliable as the public has come to expect from our nation's 9-1-1 system. These issues are being addressed, but placing a voice call to 9-1-1 is still the best way to get help for the foreseeable future.

FACTS:

• The 9-1-1 network is trusted, reliable, and secure. It's the product of years of careful design to ensure callers are connected with the appropriate 9-1-1 center (known as "public safety answering point" or "PSAP").
• It's separate from the networks that handle ordinary calls and other smart phone communications (such as texts, apps, social media, internet access, etc.)
• When you dial 9-1-1, your service provider hands off your emergency call to this separate network, which is designed to handle communications involving the safety of life and property.
• It's closely regulated and monitored at the federal, state, and local levels, with rules that vary by jurisdiction.
• The most reliable way to request emergency services is through a voice call to 9-1-1. At present, the 9-1-1 network is not capable of handling more than voice calls, or in some cases, basic text messages.
• The 9-1-1 network is gradually transitioning to advanced, IP-based networks. These Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) networks will enable the use of text, video, and other data over reliable 9-1-1 networks.
• Mobile apps are being developed that attempt to provide advanced capabilities before NG9-1-1 arrives, BUT: apps use the public internet, as opposed to the safe and reliable 9-1-1 network.
• Many 9-1-1 centers do not have internet access. Those that do, closely control it in the interest of security.
• Standards must be completed to ensure that these apps work nationwide and are effective for emergency response.
• These apps often make dangerously misleading claims that they can replace a voice call to 9-1-1.

The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) is the world's largest association of public safety communications professionals. APCO recognizes that apps hold great potential and has taken steps to address several of these issues and remains committed to ensuring all public safety apps, not just those that contact 9-1-1 centers, are as effective as possible.

Bottom line? Continue making voice calls.

9-1-1 Dispatching Technology: 2000 vs. 2015

Technology changes a lot in just a few years.

 

Here's what a typical work station looked like for a dispatcher back in the year 2000:

This is what a typical workstation looks like in 2015:

Wandering Person Program

Do you have a member of your family that suffers from an illness or condition that can make them prone to wandering off and becoming disoriented?

The Midcoast Regional Child Development Services, in conjunction with the Help Autism Now Services (HANS), is working with law enforcement agencies within Knox County to promote the wandering program. Knox County agencies are developing a database to serve individuals with Alzheimer's, Autism, and other conditions that make them prone to wander. The program collects information such as physical description and photos of the individual to allow officers to more easily identify the lost person. Other important information includes potential triggers and ways to calm the individual down. All of this information saves valuable time when a missing report comes in.

Any resident of Knox County can contact a law enforcement agency in Knox County (Rockland Police Department, Thomaston Police Department, Rockport Police Department, Camden Police Department, and Knox County Sheriff's Office) or submit the information directly to the Knox Regional Communications Center in Rockland.

If you would like to have someone in your family entered into this database, please fill out the form at this link and either email it with recent photos of the person to rcc@knoxcountymaine.gov, or mail the form with copies of photos to: Knox Regional Communications Center, 301 Park Street, Rockland, ME 04841.

Please contact KRCC Director Linwood Lothrop at llothrop@knoxcountymaine.gov or at 594-0429 x118 if you have any questions.

All information is kept confidential.

Swatting

What is swatting?

Swatting is when a person reports a false emergency to public safety for the intent of getting a ("SWAT team") response to a location where no actual emergency exists. The calling party will often report that they are involved or nearby as a witness to a home invasion, active shooter, or hostage situation, attempting to muster the largest response possible. Often, the law enforcement response is substantial, with police confronting the unsuspecting victims at gunpoint, only to learn that there is no real emergency.

Those who attempt to cause a swatting incident use several techniques, including caller ID spoofing, TTY relay technologies, and social engineering. Communications Centers/PSAP's receiving these calls must proceed as though the call were real in case it actually is. These actors will often have a reasonable-sounding scenario, and will sometimes include personal information. These actors have various reasons for doing this. Sometimes they do it for "fun" and view it as a prank, while other times it is used as retaliation against a real or perceived issue with the victim. Several public figures and celebrities have been the victims of swatting recently.

If you, as a homeowner, is the target of a swatting incident, you should:

• Remain calm - There will be a large officer presence outside your home.
• Follow the instructions given to you - In order to provide a smooth resolution to the incident, listen carefully and follow the instructions given to you by the officers.
• Do not run towards the officers - Keep hands visible and remain still until given instructions on what to do.
• Advise officer in charge of all people currently in the residence - Let officers know of all persons in the residence and their location (basement, second floor, etc.)

REMEMBER - A swatting investigation is a response to a major crime in progress. Officers must handle the response as a real situation until they are able to make contact with the residents and verify that the call is false.