Guilford Metro 911 Executive Director Melanie Jones will now have a new feather in her cap: Jones was named as the new president of the National Emergency Number Association.
The organization made the selection at its national conference in Orlando, Florida just before the July Fourth holiday.
Jones has a great deal of experience handling and overseeing emergency response calls. A long-time veteran of 911 operations in North Carolina, she’ll now lead the organization that consists of over 22,000 members, with a stated mission of advancing the association’s efforts to improve 911 operations across the country using research-based development standards, as well as exploring new training, education, outreach and advocacy efforts.
Upon accepting the position earlier this week at the Orlando conference, Jones issued a challenge to her fellow 911 professionals.
She told them, “Be the reason people trust 911. I want that trust between 911 and the public to be rock solid. When an individual dials 911, you are at the other end of the line. You are the trusted voice of help when help is needed the most.”
Jones has three and a half decades of public safety experience and she has served in several positions during her career in the emergency response communications field – as a 911 operator, a shift supervisor and an operations manager.
Guilford Metro 911 is one of North Carolina’s largest consolidated centers. In 2023, the center handled over 725,000 telephone transactions, roughly 400,000 dispatches and about 2.5 million radio transmissions.
Assistant Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis said this reflected well on Guilford Metro 911.
“It’s rewarding to see Director Jones’ body of work recognized on the national stage,” Davis said after Jones’ selection to the position. “The city looks forward to the opportunities this role will afford as she continues to advance 911 services for our community.”
Jones says she’s committed to ensuring that the National Emergency Number Association continues to lead on the issues that matter most within the emergency response community, including the following:
- Advocating for Next Generation 911 funding
- Reclassifying telecommunicators as being in a protective service occupation
- Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Improving wellness for those in the 911 field
- Addressing the current 911 staffing crisis
Guilford Metro 911 is a joint 911 “Public Safety Answering Point” that handles calls for all of Greensboro and Guilford County.
It has about 130 employees, and the agency operates in 12-hour shifts. The call center is responsible for answering and processing all 911 calls for assistance, as well as for dispatching all law enforcement, fire service, emergency management, and emergency medical calls in Greensboro and Guilford County.
———-
Oh, jolly good!
Also I won accolades for being the best salesman in my area for many years.
You know… if anyone’s interested (which they aren’t).
Regurgitated news releases from the bureaucracy are of no interest to us at all.
Congratulations Melanie! What a fantastic honor! Job well done!
“Reclassifying telecommunicators as being in a protective service occupation”? Are you kidding? Equating them to police and fire personnel, or social workers who go out at night with a police officer to pick up a battered child?
When they can carry a 45 pistol, get assaulted by fugitives, or climb into a burning building or car to save a life, then let’s talk about it. Otherwise, just do the best at the job you serve.
Want more information on this, look into how the Bureau of Labor classifies telecommunicators.
It’s all about money.
I have been in the fire service for over 50 years and I will assure you the tele-communicators are truly a very vital part of the emergency services. The stress those men and women go through can be extremely devastating to them. You need to be on the phone with a mothers who’s child is not breathing and try to get the needed information to get help on the way and then give them instructions on what to do for a child, try talking to a caller hiding from some that is breaking into there house. No they are not in the street with the police, fire or EMS personnel but they are a vital link for all of emergency responders in field keeping us informed to help keep us safe. The tele-communicators are truly the first link in ANY emergency response.
Greensboro Metro 911 is great if you are the city managers victims. Even the police chief will get involved and everything will be kept hush,hush.
Known her for many years. Best person for the job. CONGRATS…well deserved.
Now let’s gets those 911 Personnel some raises and a better retirement equal to law enforcement. They are the backbone of America’s frontline.
Well, somebody didn’t do their due diligence before giving Melanie Jones and Guilford Metro 911 an award. In my opinion no honors have been earned here and Guilford Metro 911 is a joke and a disgrace. Unfortunately, I have called Guilford County Metro 911 over 10 times regarding criminal trespassing, communicating threats, attempted robbery (?) and vandalism as my tires were slashed. First Guilford Metro 911 is going to keep you on the phone before they get any pertinent information regarding your safety? Then if the Greensboro Police Dept. shows up at all it will me a minimum of 20 minutes?
Why do they ask your phone number and location when the your phone number and your location immediately pops up on their screen. This protocol takes about 2 minutes to complete.
Then they want to know the nature of your emergency, a description of you, a description of the crime, and a description of the perpetrators. This takes over 5 minutes to complete when a Law Enforcement officer should have been dispatched immediately!
Meanwhile “Bang you are Dead”, but Guilford Metro 911 did a remarkable job following protocol and deserves an award for doing so?
Jim Donaldson
Mr. Donaldson,
I’m sorry you’ve had to use the services of 911 so often. The problems you’ve had come from the lack of education done by the County about how the system works. At one time, they did have educational programs, but budget cuts meant those were dropped.
When you call the dispatcher begins sending the appropriate service while talking with you. There’s a protocol they must follow based on computer program prompts that lead the dispatcher through a series of questions based on your answers.
They need to verify your phone number because you may have borrowed someone else’s phone, or it may not be the best phone number for them to contact you later. They verify the address since you may be calling from a cell phone with no address given, or you may be using a neighbor’s phone to report your home being on fire, and sometimes the address shown on their screen is incorrect.
They need to know the “nature of your emergency” to know who to send – they need to know if you need the police/sheriff, fire department, EMS, or all of them. Do they need to come emergency traffic or non-emergency? Is someone on the scene with weapons? Are there hostages? Does the emergency involve high rescue, water rescue, ditch rescue, hazardous materials, fire, or motor vehicles, are there multiple victims? Are the intruders still on the scene? All these questions let the dispatcher know what help to send, how much, and if they need help from other agencies. (There are a lot more scenarios but you get the idea)
They ask questions about you so that they can make sure you’re identified to law enforcement when they arrive on the scene, to give pre-arrival information to keep you safe, to share needed medical instructions, and to share with EMS before they get there which allows them to know what equipment they’ll need to bring as they come into your house.
While they are asking these questions they are in the process of sending help. The information you give them is put into the computer and sent to the appropriate agencies who then begin dispatching units to your location. Information is updated by the dispatcher, which is then passed on to each agency.
The dispatchers aren’t responsible for delays in response by the agencies. Staffing shortages are a budget issue to take up with the City Council or County Commissioners. Often the GPD and Sheriff’s Department have people fill out paperwork online or take information over the phone for small crimes like theft, slashed tires, petty crimes, fraud, and other non-injury events to keep from tying officers up (I have reported theft over the phone and finished the report online myself). Unfortunately, these aren’t urgent emergencies, given the amount of crime now. I know they’re important issues to you, but a lot is happening around town.
This is the best explanation of how the system works. It was a lot simpler 30 years ago before computers. Almost every 911 center uses this CAD system now due to legal issues. The good part is that every dispatcher follows the same routine, asks the same questions, and is less likely to miss something important when asking the caller for information. The bad part is that they can hire people who aren’t as bright to do the job, and dispatchers aren’t allowed to use critical thinking and experience to problem solve when unique situations require someone who can figure stuff out without a computer program.
*********
Cops are useless, Jim.
In reality we all have to take care of ourselves and our women and children. The government’s notion that they protect us is complete BS.
Just think for yourself. A criminal breaks into your house, or pushes down your daughter in an alley, or several corner you and demand your wallet and car keys. Are we really supposed to call 911 and answer their survey??
It’s so absurd that they may as well ask for the I.D. of the criminals.
There only ever is one real answer in the real world :
Carry a handgun and disable the threat, fatally if necessary.