Dane County residents who are curious about the ins and outs of the 911 Center can now access information about the service using the new Dane911.com website launched in May.
To better inform the public of how the 911 Center functions, the Public Safety Communications Center began working on the website several months ago under the guidance of Dane County 911 Center Director Joe Norwick.
According to the website, the Dane County 911 Center received more than 160,000 calls in 2007. Visitors to the Dane911.com can access weekly call statistics, meeting agendas and minutes from the Public Safety Commission Board, in addition to facts about 911 technology.
Dane911.com links the public with important information that may some day help save a life,"" County Executive Kathleen Falk said in a statement. ""It also offers an inside look at the hard work done everyday by our 911 Center professionals.""
Potential employees can also access recruitment information and details of the academy training program and Emergency Medical Dispatch and Emergency Fire Dispatch certifications required for all public safety communicators.
Norwick and the 911 Center recently came under fire after a mishandled call from homicide-victim Brittany Zimmermann stirred controversy about public safety.
Three weeks after Zimmermann's April 2 killing, Norwick confirmed the UW-Madison student called 911 from her cell phone on the day of her death. Due to a dispatcher error, Zimmermann's call was disconnected and her cell phone was not called back to verify whether an emergency had or had not occurred, as policy requires, Norwick said.
While the website's development preceded the Zimmermann call controversy, officials hope the new Dane911.com will provide citizens with a clearer view of the different functions of the 911 center.
To learn more about the Dane County 911 Center and the Public Safety Communications Center, visit http://dane911.com.
