[Durham INC] Durham 911 Center Becomes Missing Kids Readiness Project Member

[Blalock, Amy]

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CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release


News Media Contact:
Amy Blalock
Sr. Public Affairs Specialist
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (cell)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>
http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://YouTube.com/CityofDurhamNC


For Immediate Release: December 17, 2013


Durham 911 Center Becomes Missing Kids Readiness Project Member
Durham One of Only 11 in North Carolina to Meet Requirements

DURHAM, N.C. - Every year 200,000 children go missing in the United States. Each stage of responding to these cases forms a critical component for a thorough child-protection response. As part of its commitment to protecting children, the Durham Emergency Communications Center recently became a partner in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Missing Kids Readiness Project. The Missing Kids Readiness Project promotes best practices for responding to calls of missing, abducted and sexually exploited children.

The Center was recognized for meeting essential training and policy elements demonstrating preparedness for responding to a missing child incident, and for showcasing its dedication to protecting children. A Certificate of Recognition was recently delivered to the Center, along with being listed on the NCMEC website at http://www.missingkids.com/MKRP/Members. Durham is one of only 11 centers in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

"The role of the 9-1-1 telecommunicator is a vital one in cases when a child is reported to be missing and we take this responsibility very seriously," said James Soukup, director of the Durham Emergency Communications Center. "It was important to us to be able to facilitate swift and decisive responses in the critical, early stages of missing and abducted child cases. We are fortunate to have an established working relationship with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and this recent achievement of membership status is an honor and a commitment for us."

As one of the objectives set forth by the Missing Kids Readiness Project - a partnership between the NCMEC, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, AMBER Alert, the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, and the National Emergency Number Association - policy and training requirements are outlined for applicant agencies striving to become a certified partner in the NCMEC Project. In its ongoing effort to improve services provided to Durham residents, the Center has successfully fulfilled all of these requirements.

In an effort to ensure the best foundation is laid for the response to reports of missing and/or exploited children, the Center has also adopted the American National Standards Institute-approved "Standard for Public Safety Telecommunicators When Responding to Calls of Missing, Abducted and Sexually Exploited Children."

A mandate for achieving membership in this NCMEC Project, this model policy and voluntary standard serves as a reference for public safety communications personnel when handling calls regarding these types of calls. In addition to adopting this standard, all Center personnel have completed specialized training specific to the roles and responsibilities of telecommunicators in these situations.

To learn more about the program visit http://www.missingkids.com/MKRP, or contact Soukup at (919) 560-4191 or James.Soukup at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:James.Soukup at DurhamNC.gov>.

About the Durham Emergency Communications Center
The Durham Emergency Communications Center is the primary public safety answering point for the City and County of Durham. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the Center helps to ensure that Durham is a safe and secure community by providing around-the-clock 911 access and services to the residents and user agencies in and around Durham County. Services include, but are not limited to, emergency and non-emergency requests for assistance; dispatch of police, fire, and emergency medical services; other city/county support agencies; and other duties as required. The geographic service area encompasses 296 square miles with approximately 250,000 residents. The Center has earned the internationally recognized APCO Project 33 Certification from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc.; Emergency Medical Dispatch Accreditation by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch; and accreditation by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement  Agencies. The Center was the first, and currently, one of only two centers in the world to hold these three accreditations simultaneously. To learn more visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/911/Pages/Home.aspx or "like" http://www.Facebook.com/Durham911.

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