Virtual event is designed to identify strategies for combatting dangerous and wasteful practice of placing fake 911 calls to elicit an emergency response.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mission Critical Partners (MCP) announced today the sessions and key speakers for a "Swatting Recognition and Mitigation" masterclass that will be held virtually on May 22. Participants can register for the masterclass here.

Swatting has been occurring for more than a decade and involves placing a fake 911 call with the hope of eliciting an emergency response. Recent evidence indicates that the practice is increasing in number and severity. It is estimated that the number of swatting incidents annually totals in the tens of thousands.

The masterclass will be presented in six sessions that will cover the following topics:

• Introduction to Swatting
• Swatting Incident Identification (Parts 1 and 2)
• Operational Changes for Effective Swatting Mitigation
• Policy Recommendations
• Technology Considerations
• Call to Action

Each session will feature several of the public-safety sector's best-known thought leaders. More than 15 speakers are committed to the event. Featured speakers include the following:

Brian Tegtmeyer — Tegtmeyer is the National 911 program coordinator within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Emergency Medical Services, where he is responsible for improving the 911 community's ability to impact highway safety and continually advancing 911 service nationwide. He has more than 28 years of experience in public-safety communications and previously served as director of DU-COMM, a large 911 center in suburban Chicago.

Harriet Rennie-Brown — Rennie-Brown is executive director of the National Association of State 911 Administrators. Earlier in her career she served as a 911-center director for more than a decade and then became state 911 administrator for the state of Michigan, a position she held for more than 15 years. She is the author of the National 911 Progress Report, which was published in April 2022.

Heather McGaffin — McGaffin is director of the District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications, where she leads a team of more than 400 professionals engaged in 911, 311, and land mobile radio operations. She has spent 25 years in the sector, starting as an emergency responder and then managing both small rural and large metropolitan emergency communications centers. She is a board member for the NG911 Institute.

Thor Eells — Eells is executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association. Previously he was commander of the Colorado Springs (Colorado) Police Department for three decades. Most of his career has been spent in tactical operations, but he also has experience as a patrol officer, investigator, and training officer. Eells was one of the core committee members who developed the NTOA's National SWAT Standard.

April Heinze — Heinze is vice president and chief of 911 operations for the National Emergency Number Association. She started her career as a 911 telecommunicator for four years before becoming director of Eaton County (Michigan) Central Dispatch for two decades. She is well known throughout the public-safety sector for her experience and expertise concerning 911 operations.

John Chiaramonte — Chiaramonte is president of MCP's consulting division. His career, which spans more than three decades, began as a 911 telecommunicator and emergency responder. He has provided consulting services to numerous state and local government entities, including the National 911 Program, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Bonnie Maney — Maney is MCP's manager of 911 operations. She has extensive experience in 911 center operations, emergency management, and training for federal, state, and local public-safety agencies. Specific areas of expertise include workforce optimization, alternative response, strategic planning, standards and best practices, continuity of operations (COOP) planning, and 911 center consolidation.

"The thought leaders who have committed to sharing their expertise regarding this critical topic ensures that this will be a masterclass worth attending," said Morgan Sava, MCP's senior vice president of marketing. "This will be a first-of-its-kind, industrywide resource for identifying, mitigating, and preventing swatting incidents."

About Mission Critical Partners (MCP)

Mission Critical Partners (MCP) is a leading provider of data integration, consulting, network, and cybersecurity solutions specializing in transforming mission-critical communications networks into integrated ecosystems that improve outcomes in the public safety, justice, healthcare, transportation, and utility markets. Our comprehensive experience and vendor-agnostic approach helps us develop modernized solutions for our clients to maximize value and create optimal efficiency while mitigating risk. Additional information and career opportunities are available at www.MissionCriticalPartners.com.

Media Contact

Alex Oltmanns, Pipitone, 1 412-321-0879, aoltmanns@pipitone.com

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SOURCE Mission Critical Partners