OnStar sends 911 dispatchers in Bonnyville tokens of recognition
April 10-16 marks National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This is a time to celebrate and thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public.
All week, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) will be posting exciting facts and information about the 911 services available to you on its Facebook page.
“Get to know your 911 system, when and how to access it, and learn about the critical role of Public Safety Telecommunicators in an emergency,” the BRFA stated. “We would like to extend a special thank you to our 911 Dispatchers at BRFA. They are the often heard but never seen heroes of emergency communications.”
The BFRA Dispatch centre works closely with external agencies to help keep you safe. OnStar is one of these agencies.
“Using built-in sensors, automatic crash response connects to a specially trained OnStar Advisor who is immediately connected to your vehicle to offer help if you’re involved in a crash. Advisors will notify our dispatch centre of your location and can provide verbal medical assistance until help arrives,” the BRFA said. “For National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, OnStar sent our dispatchers tokens of recognition to thank them for their service.”
Onstar is a product used by General Motors (GM), with some licensing to other manufacturers, that allows the vehicle to automatically contact the Onstar call centre in case of unavoidable accidents or for an occupant to make the call by pressing the Onstar button. Other vehicle manufacturers use several similar services.
“The system is satellite-based, and when a call is made to the call centre, the call centre triangulates the vehicle’s position and automatically calls the nearest 911 Centre to request help,” Regional Fire Chief Dan Heney said. “As the system is satellite-based, it can communicate even in areas where cell reception is sketchy. Because there is an available automatic mode, the vehicle occupants may not have to be conscious to get help.”
This type of system can significantly speed up the accessibility to 911 calling and the resulting early dispatching of first responders, Heney added.
Lakeland Connect would like to thank the 911 centre for all the hard work you do and for keeping us safe.
Happy National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week!
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