On Monday, Nov. 3, the Commission approved an agreement with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to provide dispatchers a temporary retention payment as an incentive for experienced personnel to stay until the pay increase begins, while they continue to address the staffing shortage.
Medford Fire Chief Eric Thompson said the agreement with PSTC resolved difficult communications challenges facing the city’s public-safety LMR network, the water commission’s radio system, and coverage gaps realized by subscribers of FirstNet, which is built and operated by cellular carrier AT&T.
I want to focus on where we’re headed: the technology shaping the future of 911, the challenges that come with it, and how our community can help keep the system strong. Because while 911 has come a long way since its beginnings in 1968, its future depends not only on technology and budgets, but also on the people it serves.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has established a new laboratory to ensure Next Generation 911 systems work seamlessly across jurisdictions and technology providers, Federal News Network reported. The initiative aims to prevent communication breakdowns as states and localities transition from analog infrastructure to modern, internet protocol-based emergency networks.
Chief Joel Hallstrom braced for a leap of faith.
Since 2019, North Park Fire Protection District depended on Mercyhealth’s Rockcom: the nonprofit’s system dispatched first responders after receiving calls from 911 centers around Winnebago County.
“There’s a bit of a disconnect when the 911 centers have to make a phone call to our dispatch when we were at Rockcom,” said Hallstrom.
