Bedford 911 Communications Center

On April 17, 2023, there was a fire in the Town of Bedford, requiring Bedford 911 to dispatch Bedford PD units. The quick thinking and prompt actions of our team members were crucial in responding effectively to this emergency.

The Town of Bedford Police Department has decided to award Vickie Marriott, Jessica Johnson, and Connor Stafford with a Life Saving Award for their exceptional efforts in dispatching nearby
units, which played a significant role in saving a life.

We would like to take a moment to highlight Vickie Marriott's contributions. Vickie has been with Bedford 911 since before 2019 and currently serves as a Senior Communications Officer and
one of our Communications Training Officers. In this role, she is responsible for training and mentoring our future Emergency Communications Officers. Her extensive knowledge and experience are invaluable assets that she generously shares with new hires, significantly enhancing their development.

Vickie is a valued member of the Bedford 911 team, and we deeply appreciate her expertise and dedication. Her insight and skill set are critical to our success, and we are grateful for her unwavering commitment.

Congratulations to Vickie on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your exemplary service.

******Please Read******
The Bedford Communications Center is switching to new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software at 5:00am hours. This software changeover is the first software changeover since 1999. With this being stated, the Communications Staff is asking that all citizens that need to call into non-emergency or 911 lines please understand that the staff may be slower than usual, but we are still working to provide the best service possible. Being patient will help the staff to get the information needed to help get you the help as quickly as possible.

Thank you for understanding,

The Communications Staff

We wish all of the men and women who proudly represent the Bedford law enforcement agencies and help protect our community every day a happy police week! We are lucky to work with the most amazing people around!

Thank you for your service..... Bedford County Sheriff's Office VA & Bedford VA Police Department !!

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, twenty 911 centers came to Bedford County for two-day 911 training sessions. The sessions on The Power of Resilience and Emotionally Intelligent Communications were presented by Adam Timm with The Healthy Dispatcher. Thank you to all the organizations that participated in the two-day sessions!

We would also like to take a moment to thank Cedar Oaks Farm of Bedford for allowing us to use their venue for the two days and Lynchburg Nissan for supplying lunch for both of the day sessions! Also, thank you to the Bedford County Sheriff's Office VA assisting in multiple ways each day; without you, all this would not have been possible.

MJ's Bar and Grill graciously provided lunch and dinner for our 911 telecommunicators. Thank you for feeding us and making us feel special and an appreciated part of the community.
Check them out at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/547897145359810/user/100088104281097/

Every year during the second week of April, the telecommunications personnel in the public safety industry are honored across the U.S.

During their regular meeting last week, the Bedford County Board of Supervisors recognized April 14-20, 2024, as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. In his proclamation, Chairman Edgar Tuck highlighted the "silent service" dispatchers provide to their communities since their life-saving duties are seldom observed by the public.

Follow along on the Bedford 911 Communications Center page all week to learn more about 911 - including trivia, cool technology, and staff highlights.

(From right to left: Edgar Tuck, Director of Emergency Communications Christine Giglio, ECO Johnson)

Being a 911 Telecommunicator is not just a job, it is a calling!

Virginia Gov. Youngkin recognizes our public safety telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicator week!

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Black Mule Customs (https://www.facebook.com/blackmulecustoms) created this beautiful sign for our Center!
As National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week approaches it is important that every one of Bedford's hard working public safety telecommunicators know that they are appreciated for the very hard work that they do serving our community.

This sign is what everyone needs to hear when they walk into their workplace.

Bedford County residents who have cell phone service with AT&T may experience issues calling 911 from their mobile phones. This is according to Bedford County’s Emergency Communications department who received confirmation from AT&T about the issue.

If you are ever experiencing an emergency and can’t dial 911 from your cell phone, either make your call from a landline or contact the Bedford 911 Communication Center through the non-emergency line: 540-586-7827. Save this number in your phone in case you ever need it.

Please note: The non-emergency line should not be used for emergencies unless it’s your only option.

The Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Lynchburg, and Roanoke County ECCs are hosting Adam Timm, Founder/Instructor of The Healthy Dispatcher, on April 30th and May 1st, 2024.

Registration for this event is **FREE** for any Virginia dispatch center that would like to send 911 dispatchers to this event.

Seats are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact information for seat reservations and event information is listed below!

It was great to be a part of the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce Job Fair today! We had an amazing time speaking to the community about the 911 Center and what a communications officer's job entails.

This week is severe weather awareness week in Virginia. A classic way to describe a weather watch v. a weather warning is
Watch: Be aware as the criteria is right for a weather event.
Warning: Take cover. Hazardous weather has formed and is occuring.

This diagram explains the difference between a watch and a warning.
Watch: We have all the ingredients for Tacos!
Warning: Tacos have been made and are at the table!

Stay safe out there! (Thank you, VDEM, for the image)

Recently we found some historical Bedford Emergency Communications documents. Old call cards and phone logs which vary from 1982 to 1993.

On 6/6/1993 Bedford Emergency Communications (which at the time was just the County of Bedford) had 46 calls for service and had 19 calls in the Phone Log (2 of which were 911 line tests). On 6/6/2023 (which is now the Town and County Joint ECC) we had 245 calls for service and answered 492 calls total.

Below are pictures of the cards and phone log, a picture of how we do things now, and a fancy chart to put it all together.

We would like to congratulate our warrants specialist and senior communications officer, Taylor Clayton, on her achievement in obtaining the NENA Excellence in Dispatch Certificate! To obtain this certificate, Taylor completed Advance Police Dispatching, Enhanced Caller Management, and 911 Customer Service within two years. With these classes, Taylor is able to bring her knowledge back to our center and help other communications officers provide even greater customer service to Bedford citizens in their time of need! Thank you, Taylor, and again, congratulations on this big achievement!

Thank you to Black Mule Customs for their generous donation of our new EMD/EFD Rock Stars boards.

Communications Officers with their names on this board have achieved a call with high compliant marks on an Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) or Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) call.

Check out their FB page for all the wonderful work they do: https://www.facebook.com/blackmulecustoms

Numerous cellular networks, particularly AT&T, are facing extensive outages. If your phone shows "SOS" instead of signal bars, you can still call 9-1-1, but for other calls, use Wi-Fi calling.
Please refrain from dialing 9-1-1 to inquire about your phone's call issues to prevent tying up emergency lines.

Happy Birthday to 911! On 2/16/1968 the first 911 call was placed in Haleyville, Alabama!

On February 16, 1968, history was made in Haleyville, Alabama, with the inaugural 9-1-1 call, marking a transformative moment for emergency response in America. This landmark, later becoming Haleyville's City Hall, symbolizes the genesis of the vital service we’ve all come to rely on today.

As we commemorate this anniversary, let's honor the commitment and courage of 9-1-1 personnel across the country. Their unwavering dedication ensures our safety, proving them to be everyday heroes. Let’s celebrate the historical significance of 9-1-1 and thank those who safeguard our communities.

Haleyville AL - Mayor's Office

Valentines Day flash back!

Bedford 911 Communications will be here, on Valentine's Day and every day, to serve the community.

The Bedford 911 Communications Center is looking for individuals interested in becoming a Communications Officer!

Elevate Your Career with 911 Excellence, Where Every Second Counts!!

Apply Today!

The answer to yesterdays test is D! Bedford Communications answers the most calls between the hours of 3pm-4pm everyday. Congrats to anyone who answered D!

Join us in supporting a true hero's fight against cancer. 🚒

Our brother in arms at the Moneta Volunteer Fire Department needs us now more than ever. Let's come together for a night of warmth and community while enjoying a spaghetti and chicken dinner.

Your $10 can make a world of difference. Let's be there for someone who's always been there for us. 💛

Do you think you know the correct answer to our Tuesday test? Comment below with your answer!

The Bedford Communications Center would like to congratulate Christine Giglio on her completion of the APCO Registered Public Safety Leader ("RPL") course!

"The RPL course came in as a scholarship for only 30 applicants in the state of Virginia. It is a year long online course and includes 6 course projects along with a year long service project. The year long service project required an RPL paper with executive summary and timeline. Mine was 187 pages and I was responsible for only 1/3 of the project. “Voices Like Mine is a Southwest Virginia regional peer support group designed to offer peer support to 9-1-1 dispatchers who are going through stress and burnout. This group will also facilitate the organization of team-building meetups for a region or 9-1-1 center. The group is named “Voices Like Mine” because people outside of the 9-1-1 industry don’t (and can’t) understand the struggles of being a Frontline Telecommunicator. We understand and hope to connect “voices like mine” in Southwest Virginia to assist our peers through signs of stress and burnout."

Https://voiceslikemine.org

We are thankful to have Christine as part of the communications team.
Congratulations, Christine, on all your hard work this past year!

The Bedford Communications Center would like to congratulate Taylor Clayton on her completion of the APCO Registered Public Safety Leader ("RPL") course!

"I am so thrilled to have completed the RPL course through APCO. We were able to complete a yearlong service project, Voices Like Mine, which is a regional peer support group for those in the 9-1-1 industry in Southwest Virginia. I learned so much about leadership, management, and ways to continue to grow the industry. I cannot wait to put these skills to use in our center and to help the citizens of Bedford County."

We are grateful to have Taylor as part of the communications team.

Congratulations, Taylor, on all your hard work this past year!

If you have questions about the burn ban please go to https://firerescue.bedfordcountyva.gov/ and use the Contact Us menu at the top to get in touch with BCoFR.

🚨 Outdoor Burning Ban: Effective Immediately 🚨

On the heels of Gov. Youngkin’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Virginia due to wildfires, Bedford County officials have issued a county-wide ban on outdoor burning.

The ban is effective immediately and includes the Town of Bedford.

Following this declaration and until the ban is rescinded, it is against the law to burn brush, grass, leaves, trash, debris, or any other flammable material. It is also against the law to ignite or maintain any open fire in Bedford County. Violation of the burn ban is a class-one misdemeanor.

Prolonged dry weather and high winds have created ideal conditions for wildfires across the state and here in our area. In the past week, firefighters have responded to more than 20 brush fires in various parts of Bedford County. Several of those fires were close to homes.

We have more information about this announcement on our website: https://www.bedfordcountyva.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1739/2157

Subscribe to our e-notices to get announcements like this sent directly to your email: www.bedfordcountyva.gov/subscribe.