Lessons from deadly disasters: The case for reauthorizing FirstNet

by | Apr 27, 2026 | Articles, Comm Center News

What makes FirstNet such a functional and irreplaceable system is not only its technological capacity but also the institutional knowledge built over more than a decade. The Response Operations Group is composed of former first responders who understand past failures and anticipate problems, while maintaining direct, trusted relationships with local, state, and federal authorities. 

SOURCE: MSN

DATE: April 26, 2026

Congress must pass HR 7386 without delay. If it works, don’t touch it.

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County commission aims to solve 911 dispatcher shortages (WI)

by | Apr 21, 2026 | Comm Center News

GREEN BAY (NBC26) — County Executive, Troy Streckenbach, is directing staff to create a 911 Study Commission; the goal is to address retention and recruitment issues at the Brown County 911 Dispatch Center.
  • Past reporting found 911 dispatchers speaking up about being overworked and under paid.
  • The new commission will include past law enforcement officers and current and former Brown County Board Supervisors.
  • The commission is expected to be operating within weeks.

Portland public safety improvements at risk under proposed cuts to 911, 311 services (OR)

by | Apr 21, 2026 | Comm Center News

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Portland’s public safety could be facing some major cuts.

On Monday, Mayor Keith Wilson released his proposal in an effort to close a $171.6 million budget gap. In that proposal, Wilson suggested cuts to the city’s 911 operating system, the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC), including cutting two positions and reducing overtime and training.

After the recognition, the work continues (IA)

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Comm Center News

As National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week comes to a close, I find myself thinking less about the spotlight and more about the people behind it.

This week each year gives us the opportunity to pause and recognize a profession that is absolutely essential to public safety, yet so often works quietly in the background. It gives us a chance to celebrate the men and women who answer the phone in moments of fear, confusion, pain, and uncertainty. It gives us a chance to remind our communities that before help arrives on scene, before a siren is heard, before lights come into view, there is a voice on the other end of the line working to bring calm to chaos. That voice belongs to a 911 Communications Specialist in Marshall County. That voice belongs to a 911 Telecommunicator. And while this week is important, what matters even more is what these professionals do every single day long after the week is over.