LAS VEGAS—AT&T supports the notion that in-building systems supporting first-responder communications on FirstNet should meet public-safety-grade requirements for coverage and resiliency, but questions remain about the business model for building owners that are expected to provide most—if not all—of the funding.
Steve Devine, AT&T’s director of public-safety policy and strategy for FirstNet, said that in-building coverage requirement for FirstNet on 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum should mirror the requirements that fire codes have for land-mobile-radio (LMR) systems, not just a typical in-building commercial deployment. This would require additional hardening of the systems and mandate coverage in areas of structures where public-safety works…
March 24, 2022 (Anchorage) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an Administrative Order Tuesday to establish the Alaska 911 Advisory Board to help improve public safety response across Alaska. This is the first effort to formalize a place for all 911 delivery stakeholders to collaborate and provide a policy framework and standardized process to improve the 911 system.
“Declared disasters occur in Alaska every 90 days. Personal emergencies happen every day in urban centers and in villages and beyond. It’s imperative that our emergency response is comprehensive and coordinated statewide.” said Governor Dunleavy…
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Every month, Pennington County dispatch teaches a 911 class that allows citizens to sit in on the meticulously controlled chaos of their world.
“One of the biggest reasons people become dispatchers is to be able to help people in times of need,” explains dispatcher and Citizens 911 instructor Sarah Smith. “People do not call 911 because they’re having a good day. They call 911 because they’re in the middle of some sort of a catastrophe or an emergency. And it’s always rewarding for us to be able to help them solve that situation.”
The solution actually starts though with those who call in, because the relay of details to first responders is key to their success…
LAS VEGAS—Perceived primarily as a data-centric network, FirstNet connectivity is gaining traction as a mission-critical-voice alternative to traditional land-mobile-radio (LMR) technology, as speakers during IWCE 2022 conference sessions have noted this week.
Push-to-talk (PTT) solution ESChat was one of the first applications included in the FirstNet App Catalog when it was established years ago, but all forms of PTT over FirstNet primarily have been used as augmentations to LMR systems, which has been a foundation of public-safety communication for more than 60 years. But that situation is changing, with multiple entities this week unveiling plans to use PTT over FirstNet for their primary mission-critical voice communications while shuttering aging LMR networks that would have required costly upgrades…
The reason for the project? The Federal Communications Commission has informed the township that the agency is claiming Toms River’s current radio frequency. That means the township must switch to a new frequency by the end of 2023.
Police Chief Mitch Little said the township must switch from its current 500MHZ frequency to 700MHZ, the same frequency used by county and state law enforcement…
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
