Manatee County Emergency Communications Center receives international industry recognition
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (May 14, 2018) – Manatee County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) this week received international recognition, the division's crowning achievement in a year of technological advancements that have improved public safety in the community.
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, the world's largest organization of public safety communications professionals, announced last week Manatee County ECC is the recipient of its 2018 Public Safety Communications Technology Leadership: Small Agency Award. The award recognizes communications centers that use technological advancements to benefit their center and the community they serve.
"We are very proud of Emergency Communications 9-1-1 Chief Jake Saur and his team for this prestigious award which will officially be presented to them in August at the association’s international conference in Las Vegas," said Public Safety Director Robert Smith. The award will be presented at the APCO's annual conference and expo in August.
In July, the ECC became the second agency in Florida to adopt new technology that will save emergency responders significant time when home alarms sound. The new Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) technology allows outside alarm monitoring companies such as Brinks and Vector to send information directly to call takers in the 9-1-1 Call Center, shaving up to three minutes from call processing time.
In November the ECC and local fire districts launched Pulsepoint, a free mobile app that alerts citizens trained in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when someone in a nearby public place suffers sudden cardiac arrest. 9-1-1 operators can now send alerts through the app at the same time they dispatch first responders to the scene. The app also notifies users of the closest available automated external defibrillator (AED).
Also in November, Manatee County ECC became one of two in Florida and 13 in the world to earn a triple accreditation from an international nonprofit that sets standards for dispatch centers. The 911 center received the highest level of recognition for its police dispatch from the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch, or IAED, earning the title of a “Triple-ACE,” or Accredited Center for Excellence, agency.
Manatee County ECC gave callers even more options in January when officials implemented text-to-911.
Manatee County Emergency Communications Center process over 222,000 9-1-1 calls each year. View and download photos of the County's 9-1-1 call center here.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.