A Public Safety Guide
to the World Wide Web
by Dave Larton
| Dave Larton is a dispatcher with the City of Gilroy, California. He is on the training staff of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Telecommunications Branch, and the webmaster for several public safety web sites. |
Sidebar:
A list of Public Safety
related News Groups
This article can be found on
page 30 of the Jan/Feb 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
If you've been on the Internet for very long, you know that there literally hundreds of sites that specialize in Emergency Services information. But: where should you start looking first?
One of the easiest ways to find an interesting Emergency Services site is to go to a clearinghouse on the World Wide Web, where sites are grouped according to your interest. A notable one is the Emergency Services Web Site at http://www.district.north-van.bc.ca/esws/Www-911.htm. Managed by Ray Rogers, a Lieutenant with Canada's District of North Vancouver Fire Services, this clearinghouse has nearly 2,000 emergency service sites listed. Also of note is Rogers' Emergency Services Database at http://www.district.north-van.bc.ca/admin/depart/fire/FFsearch/mainmenu.cfm
Another good place to stop by is FireFighting.com at http://firefighting.com/. This site has links to two very popular emergency services sites, 10-75.com http://www.10-75.com and the Break Room for Public Safety Communications Personnel http://firefighting.com/breakroom/. The 10-75 site has just about everything you could look for if you have an interest in the Fire Service. The Break Room, managed by California Highway Patrol Communications Supervisor Linda Olmstead, will keep Public Safety Dispatchers, those aspiring to become one, or members of the general public amused and entertained for hours. It also includes an exhaustive list of PSAP web sites.
You can always use one of the Internet's Search Engines, like YAHOO! At http://www.yahoo.com or Alta Vista, at http://www.altavista.digital.com. Enter the subject you'd like to see, and voila! Sites all over the Internet will pop up.
Newsgroups
Internet USENET Newsgroups are a great way to read about, and comment on, current emergency services issues of the day. One of the most popular is misc.emerg-services, which specializes in EMS and Fire related issues. Others are listed in the table below.
Email lists
A really good way to receive Emergency Services information via the Internet is to subscribe to an email list. An email is generated, usually on a daily basis, and provides news and discussion on a particular subject. One of general interest is Networks In Emergency Management, an international discussion list on emergency management issues (Mostly communications/technology issues). To subscribe, send e-mail to: majordomo@sfu.ca
No entry is needed in the subject area. In the body of the message, write: subscribe nets-em your name
Another email list is operated by the FEMA Emergency Information and Public Affairs Office (EIPA). Unlike other lists, this is not a discussion network; it's a FEMA news release wire. The information, including press releases and situation reports (sit reps) is quite informative. To subscribe, send email to: majordomo@fema.gov (no subject needed) In the body of the message write: subscribe news.
DISMED is a medical disaster management mail list. To subscribe send e-mail to: listserv@mediccom.org (no subject needed). In the body of the text write: subscribe dismed your name
STORM Hurricane Tracking and Information during active hurricanes. Send e-mail to Majordomo@lists.cimedia.net with the following command in the body of your email message: subscribe storm
DISPATCH-D is an email list for dispatchers. To subscribe, send email to dispatch-d-request@tcomeng.com In the message write: Subscribe dispatch-d@tcomeng.com (Your name)
DISPATCH -L is an email list that mirrors the misc.emerg-services USENET newsgroup site. To subscribe, send email to: listserv@marist.bitnet subject: subscription Write in the message: subscribe emerg-l (your name goes here)
A popular email list is the Showcase of the Day. Emergency Services Sites are highlighted daily on this mailing. To subscribe, send email to Majordomo@hotcity.com with the following command in the body of your email message: subscribe showcase
Internet Chat
One of the most exciting forms of receiving information is the use of Internet Chat, where you may `talk' via keyboard with hundreds of people in real time. For those dispatchers having America On-Line, Dispatch Chat is available on Mondays from 1700-1900 hours Pacific Time, in the Public Safety Chat room on America On-Line. A different topic is discussed each week with other dispatchers, dispatch supervisors and field personnel nationwide. For more information, contact GryEyes911@aol.com.
Internet Chat is also available through the Paramedic Times website at http://www.firefighting.com
Magazines and Associations
Of course, not to be left out, your favorite magazines are also available online, and they can be an important resource for information. See 9-1-1 Magazine's home page at http://www.9-1-1magazine.com or Dispatch Monthly magazine at http://www.911 dispatch.com.
Fire service-oriented publications online include Wildland Firefighter Magazine http://www.wildlandfirefighter.com, Fire Engineering at http://www.fire-eng.com, The Canadian Firefighter at http://home.interhop.net/~jablonski/cdnff/, and The Philadelphia Fireman at http://www.lionet.com/pafireman/welcome.htm.
Fire/Rescue and EMS publications from JEMS Publications can be browsed at http://www.jems.com. Emergency Medical Services magazine has a web site at http://www.emsmagazine.com/. Canadian Emergency News is found at http://www.pendragon.ab.ca/.
Public safety organizations can be found on line also, including The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, at http://www.apcointl, The National Emergency Number Association at http://www.nena9-1-1.org/, The International Association of Chiefs of Police at http://www.theiacp.org/. The International Association of Wildfire can be found at http://www.wildfiremagazine.com.
These are but a few of the ways you can get the latest happenings on our profession over the Internet. Other notable web sites are illustrated throughout this issue. Now, rev up that browser and see what you can find!
[Thanks to Steven Kuhr, CEM, EMT-P (skuhr@worldnet.att.net) for his online assistance in the compilation of this article.]
