{"672295":{"#nid":"672295","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTPD\u2019s Operations Center Answers the Call","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the voice on the other end of the phone in campus emergencies, the dispatchers at the Georgia Tech Police Department\u2019s (GTPD) Emergency Communications and Operations Center are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EServing as a liaison between the community and responding officers, command center staff monitor calls, emails, and texts from Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff. They also provide background information on suspects, research license plate numbers and warrants, and monitor the cameras on campus to provide video support for criminal investigations and to ensure officer safety during traffic stops.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShireka Graham, director of emergency communications, reminds all members of the Georgia Tech community not to hesitate to reach out to the operations center.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want students, faculty, and staff to know that we are the heartbeat of the operation \u2014 they might not see us, but we are here for them,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are the voice behind the call, and just like the police officers and other field responders, we\u0027re there with them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESometimes, she noted, people are reluctant to call because they don\u0027t think their situation is an emergency or that it\u0027s important. \u201cBut if they\u0027re in doubt, call us and let us get someone out there to evaluate the situation and get them the help they need,\u0022 Graham said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our students are our top priority,\u201d she said. \u201cWe know there is a lot of pressure\u201d at Tech, especially during finals, \u201cso we encourage our students to call us if they need someone to talk to. We can connect them with the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources, and if they call us, we will send a responder and remain on the line with them until help arrives.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe operations center can be reached through a 911 call, the LiveSafe app (calls, texts, and audio and video messages), the center\u0027s administrative line for non-emergencies (404.894.2500), emergency elevator buttons, and 555 blue light emergency phones across campus. For those reaching out to the command center, Graham said it\u0027s important to share as much information as possible to help dispatchers provide the best response.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003ETrained to Assist\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore assuming their duties, dispatchers complete a rigorous 12-week training program, and ongoing training is required annually. The law enforcement arm of GTPD earned Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation in 2013, and Graham challenged her staff with earning the same accreditation \u2014 which they accomplished in 2022. The Operations Center is Georgia\u0027s only university or college communications center to receive it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing CALEA-accredited provides the best practices and standards to enhance our commitment to better serve and build trust within the Georgia Tech community,\u201d Graham said. \u201cThe intensive process comprises 207 standards and 20-plus annual continued education training hours\u201d for each dispatcher. \u201cIt\u0027s important to us to provide the highest level of customer service, process each call effectively and efficiently, and assure we\u0027re skilled to handle critical incidents regarding our students and the community we serve.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking alongside the dispatchers in the command center is a group of student assistants, and giving them an opportunity to see the inner workings of GTPD as video technicians is one of many outreach efforts to connect with the campus community.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Who knows the campus better than the students? They\u0027re the ones walking it every single day, so having them collaborate with us is very beneficial in meeting our common goal of ensuring safety for our campus,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2022, the team became the first university Public Safety Communications agency in the state to be recognized by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.missingkids.org\/education\/training\/missing-kids-readiness-program\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMissing Kids \u0026amp; 9-1-1 Readiness Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The dispatchers inside the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Emergency Communications and Operations Center take pride in being the voice behind the call when an emergency arises. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe dispatchers inside the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Emergency Communications and Operations Center take pride in being the voice behind the call when an emergency arises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The dispatchers inside the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Emergency Communications and Operations Center take pride in being the voice behind the call when an emergency arises. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-01-19 16:22:15","changed_gmt":"2024-01-23 14:56:20","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-01-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-01-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672814":{"id":"672814","type":"video","title":"GTPD\u2019s Operations Center Answers the Call","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe dispatchers inside the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Emergency Communications and Operations Center take pride in being the voice behind the call when an emergency arises.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1705681233","gmt_created":"2024-01-19 16:20:33","changed":"1705681233","gmt_changed":"2024-01-19 16:20:33","video":{"youtube_id":"CKl0ETGl9pw","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CKl0ETGl9pw"}},"672838":{"id":"672838","type":"image","title":"Shireka Graham looks on as a student assistant monitors cameras inside the GTPD Emergency Communications and Operations Center.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EShireka Graham looks on as a student assistant monitors cameras inside the GTPD Emergency Communications and Operations Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1706021608","gmt_created":"2024-01-23 14:53:28","changed":"1706021608","gmt_changed":"2024-01-23 14:53:28","alt":"Shireka Graham looks on as a student assistant monitors cameras inside the GTPD Emergency Communications and Operations Center.","file":{"fid":"256159","name":"Screenshot 2024-01-23 at 9.47.02 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/23\/Screenshot%202024-01-23%20at%209.47.02%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/23\/Screenshot%202024-01-23%20at%209.47.02%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2210706,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/23\/Screenshot%202024-01-23%20at%209.47.02%20AM.png?itok=lrkK2MA_"}}},"media_ids":["672814","672838"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3390","name":"Georgia Tech Police Department"},{"id":"7728","name":"Georgia Tech community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}