America’s Public Safety Network Surpasses 2.81 Million Square Miles, Expands First Responder Access to 5G and Strengthens Commitment to Mission-Ready Infrastructure (Courtesy of FirstNet and AT&T)
In the nearly 5 years since AT&T was selected by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) to build and operate FirstNet®, the company moved quickly to bring more coverage, boost capacity and drive new capabilities for first responders and the communities they serve, whether they be rural, urban and tribal.
To date the public safety community on FirstNet has access to the nation’s largest coverage footprint, reaching more than 2.81 million square miles across the country. That means they cover more than 50,000 square miles above that of the largest commercial networks (about the size of Alabama), enabling more first responders access to an entire ecosystem of innovative solutions to keep them mission ready…
(WAND) – Emergency dispatchers are the first to answer the call for help. But in Illinois, they are categorized as clerical staff – not first responders.
Now, a bill moving through the Illinois Senate could change that.
“Dispatchers are the lifeline, the vital lifeline really, between our citizens and the emergency services that they need,” Desir’ee Wright, communications supervisor for the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center (CIRD), told WAND News…
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine has become the first state in New England to create an alert system for missing children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The Maine Department of Public Safety and supporters of the new system said it addresses a gap in emergency alerts in the state. The new program is part of the state’s silver alert system that was created more than a decade ago to inform the public about missing older residents who suffer from cognitive impairments…
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners reviewed several funding requests for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds during their winter retreat on Friday.
So far, Iredell County has received $17,656,842 in ARPA funds, which are provided by the federal government to recover losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A second installment this spring will boost the total to $35,313,684.
Various funding requests have been submitted to the board, but commissioners are waiting to make a final decision on most of the proposals until they learn more about recently announced state grant programs…
Stutsman County’s new 911 system will allow for better interconnection with state agencies, better workflow and texting to 911 to local dispatchers, according to Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking.
The new 911 system was installed the week of Jan. 17. Stutsman County is the second county in the state with a new mapping system, Kirking said.
“The big change for us is streamlining the workflow, and it is more connection with the state for information sharing, which is great to have when we have a corridor like (U.S. Highway) 281 and a corridor like Interstate 94,” he said…
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.
