Governor Roy Cooper spoke at the 911 Board Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) Manager’s Meeting today in Greensboro to thank emergency services personnel for their work to keep North Carolina communities safe and healthy.
“Our 911 operators are the first of the first responders in a crisis, acting quickly in life-threatening situations and answering our calls when we need it most,” Governor Cooper said. “I’m grateful for their dedication to protect our families and communities.”
Local 911 operators have coordinated first responder rescues and rushed help to people during weather disasters such as hurricanes and mountain flooding, and also guide callers through medical crises and other emergencies, Cooper said.
“The 911 operators are always there on the other end of the phone when people need them most, and I applaud the important work they do every day,” said State Chief Information Officer and NC Department of Information Technology Secretary James A. Weaver. “I’m very proud of the operational and technology enhancements we have achieved with the implementation of NC’s NextGen 911 and we will carry on our diligent work to make sure our local PSAPs can continue to be more efficient and effective in their critical roles within the communities they serve.”
“Our first responders are always there to answer the call whenever an emergency occurs. 911 operators play a vital role as the first line of communication between a person in need and our law enforcement agencies,” said NC Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr. “Public safety relies on these important lines of communication and we understand that new technologies could bring with them cybersecurity challenges and risks. We are thankful to the 911 Board for their efforts to increase cybersecurity assistance to local PSAPs.”
“It is so wonderful to be back in person for the 911 Board’s PSAP managers meeting. Our last gathering of this group was in 2018,” said L.V. “Pokey” Harris, Executive Director of the NC 911 Board. “This opportunity allows us to assemble PSAP leadership from across the state to share information relevant to 911 technology, operations, training and education. In addition to all of these topics, today we are placing an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing for those that 24/7/365 are there to answer the call for assistance - the true first first responders.”
The PSAP Managers Meeting, hosted by the North Carolina 911 Board, brings together emergency telecommunicators from across the state to discuss 911-related topics of interest from a state and national perspective. A primary focus of the meeting will be mental health and wellbeing for 911 operators. The N.C. 911 Board is chaired by NCDIT Secretary Jim Weaver.
The N.C. 911 Board is working to create an enhanced statewide 911 system, the Next Generation 911 (NG911) for wireless and landline callers, to ensure that residents can reach 911 services regardless of their location or the communication technology they use. NG911 will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency response. The N.C. 911 Board has also assembled a cybersecurity remediation initiative to explore options for assistance to PSAPs.
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