Chicomm Blog

Don’t get me wrong – the benefits for all of us, from call takers to administrators to first responders and citizens, of course, will be tremendous.

We, as citizens, will be able to request help from 9-1-1 in so many quick and easy ways. And Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) will have more information than ever to make the best decisions and provide the best response. But while we focus on when and how we’ll implement networks and enable connectivity, and worry about all of the things that are to come, we’re overlooking the most critical impact of NG9-1-1 – the impact it will have on our call takers’ experience, and what that means to the speed and accuracy of their responses.

The folks over at PoliceOne have created this helpful Infographic to show how video is affecting how police officers do their jobs.

Employee Spotlight: Helen Strecker

In April, 2005, Helen took a leap of faith and applied for the receptionist's job at Chicago Communications. During the interview, she said, "It was interesting explaining why my last 'paid position' had been in 1972." That's what happens when you are a stay at home mom for 33 years.

Helen’s first job after graduating from secretarial college in New Jersey was with a major retail company.  She was a secretary (yes, that's what they were called then) to a vice president; and she did it all.  Correspondence, advertising, budgets, scheduling and yes, even his personal shopping.  When she got married, her husband's job took them out of their hometown and across the country to Illinois.  Then, along came three boys, a house and a station wagon - suburbia at its best.  And once again, she was doing it all - school committees, charity organizations, Scouts, sports and car-pooling.  They went through a station wagon and two mini-vans during that time.  When asked, "What do you do?" her polite answer was usually "how much time do you have?"  She was fortunate, she was able to stay at home to raise her children, run her home and contribute to her community.  In 2000, Helen became a widow, the "children" were grown men and there was no need for her to be at home anymore.  In 2004, she got married again, and decided to see what was out there. 

It’s an inflatable tower!  Didn’t know there was such a thing?  Well, there is and it has some pretty interesting applications.  You can use it anywhere from golf outings or county fairs, to crime scenes or highway speed control or road blocks!  Anytime you have a temporary command post or mobile headquarters, these easy to move mobile towers can accommodate an antenna, repeater, camera, or even an access point for high speed data.  They are easy to transport, quickly deployed, affordable and customizable. They are portable enough to mount on any vehicle so you can enhance your two way radio or mobile phone range at any remote operation. They are inflatable towers made by Lighter than Air Projects in Cookeville, TN, and available locally through Chicago Communications!

In order for our account executives to be more attentive to your needs we developed this program to instantly place an order and notify you and your account executive as soon as the order is placed.

Here’s how it works.