It took a long time to establish FirstNet, will it take as long to close the Digital Divide?
In our history, there have been many times when it was apparent that something needed to be done to advance a cause, a technology, or perhaps to solve an ongoing problem. However, until something major happens to point out why the problem needs to be fixed, it remains unsolved…
I’m very pleased to report that as you read this all of the town’s first responders from Fire, EMS, Police, and Dispatch are now working out of our brand new facility located next to Town Hall at 275 U.S, Route 1. As you may imagine there are hundreds of details and logistical challenges that go into a successful transition like this for a 24/7/365 operation like ours.
One of the most critical phases of the move was the transition of our Public Safety Communications Center. There are dozens of components that needed to move as many of…
As the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, daily life has shifted; more people are working from home, and formerly bustling cities are shut down while government takes measures to slow the spread. Amid these changes, public health and safety agencies are increasingly important as they continue to share information with the public and guide them to the right resources — just as they do in all emergency situations.
However, public safety agencies can no longer rely on traditional communication methods to reach the public. Instead, they should turn to emergency communications technologies, like mass notification systems, to both calm and redirect residents to accurate and up-to-date information…
The NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (NIOC) is pleased to announce that Laurie Flaherty, Coordinator for the National 911 Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and David Furth, Deputy Chief of the Federal Communications Commission?s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, have been confirmed by the NENA Board to fill two non-voting seats on the NIOC. In this role, they will serve as liaisons between NIOC and the federal government?s 9-1-1 policy coordination and telecommunications regulatory functions, respectively…
The changes to government security practices wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic are unlikely to dissipate when the virus does, current and former government officials said during a recent webinar.
Because public-safety data is usually highly sensitive, officials have been reluctant to use it, but technological advances such as cloud security are making it easier to share securely — and just in time. Public-safety data can be useful for contact tracing — or monitoring the people potentially exposed to the coronavirus. To achieve this…
Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order on Aprail 10 that forced the state health department to provide addresses of people infected with coronavirus to first responders.
Armed with that information, emergency dispatchers can tell responding police, firefighters, and paramedics if … the addresses of contagious cases of coronavirus to 911 dispatch centers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported…
