Handbook For Disaster Readiness For Local Emergency Communications Centers: When the Communications Center is in Jeopardy After a Major Disaster

This easy-to-read handbook will help primary and secondary emergency communications center managers to establish a more detailed preparedness plan for their call-center in the event that it is destroyed or seriously damaged by a major disaster. Some of the most important topics discussed include: determining roles and responsibilities within the communications center, the importance of having a back-up center, staffing issues (telecommunicators), maintaining communications with the public health community, testing your Emergency Operations Plans (particularly the communications center), and many other tools and resources. The material found in this handbook promotes comprehensive precepts for emergency communications centers by drawing from lessons learned in a recent disaster, and personal observation and acquaintance with other professional and written resources.

Ntasiah K. Shaw is the founder and owner of Educate 911 (a small business which produces educational material for the general public that teaches how and when to properly use the 911 emergency number). She is a former 911 Dispatcher and trainer at the East Central Dispatch Center which is located in the Richmond Heights Police Department in St. Louis County, Missouri; and Dispatcher Instructor at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy. Currently, Ntasiah works as a Regional Emergency Response Planner with the St. Louis County Department of Health and a member of the Missouri TeleCommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT). Ntasiah is especially familiar with the daily operation of a dispatch center and the value of its service to the community. Her experience includes working both sides of the 911 emergency radio call-in the performance of her duty as a 911 operator, and as a member of the law enforcement team who responds. Ntasiah holds a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master of Science Degree in BioSecurity and Disaster Preparedness, both from St. Louis University. She served as a Drug Elimination Program (DEP) Officer with the St. Louis Housing Authority Public Safety Department from 1996-2000. It was during this time, also, that Ntasiah discovered the immense accountability of the dispatch center to its public. Serving as an officer, she realized that the information received from the dispatcher was crucial to preserving the lives of the persons in need of help, as well as the first responders. Although on several occasions she operated as an emergency dispatcher while serving as a DEP Officer, it was in August 2001 that Ntasiah became a full-time 911 emergency dispatcher with the City of Clayton Police Department in St. Louis County, Missouri. The dispatching center has since consolidated with several area departments. It is responsible for receiving and dispatching police, fire and EMS calls for six municipalities.