Priority Dispatch Brings Modernization to Smaller, Rural 911 Agencies

SALT LAKE CITY – Priority Dispatch® is revolutionizing the emergency dispatch industry with its new cloud-based calltaking software, ProQA® Discovery, which can be deployed and maintained 100% virtually, including implementation, training, certification, and quality assurance. ProQA software has long been recognized as the standard of care for emergency calltaking with its research-based medical dispatch protocols created and backed by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch™. Now ProQA Discovery will help modernize emergency dispatch calltaking by bringing flexibility, innovation, and high performance to communities of every size – especially sheriff-based departments…

AT&T, Motorola collaborate on second MCPTT offering for FirstNet

FirstNet subscribers should have a choice of mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) services this winter, when a new offering from Motorola Solutions is expected to be available following a collaborative development effort with AT&T, the contractor building the FirstNet nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN).

Scott Agnew, AT&T’s assistant vice president for FirstNet products, said that Motorola Solutions was selected as the second MCPTT provider—the first offering, FirstNet PTT, was launched in March 2020—through a competitive procurement process conducted by AT&T…

Intrado and ADT Partner to Enhance Emergency Response via Direct Data Messaging to 911

Intrado Corporation (“Intrado”), a global leader in technology-enabled services, and ADT, a leading provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions, today announced a partnership that enables ADT to deliver additional data to 911 centers and first responders throughout the alarm response process by means of Intrado’s Emergency Data Broker ™. When an alarm is triggered, ADT is able to send important event information with additional data for delivery to the appropriate 911 center for homes and businesses monitored by ADT. With this data delivery system, 911 telecommunicators and first responders will benefit from better situational awareness about the affected premises, helping to improve response safety and effectiveness… READ MORE

Online interface gives emergency dispatchers up-to-date information in one place

Online interface gives emergency dispatchers up-to-date information in one place

Between documenting resources that are available, logging important timestamps, fielding phone calls from utility companies, giving information to responding units and talking to victims, dispatching emergency services amid a rapidly evolving event can be a difficult assignment—and that’s not to mention the stress of trying to help someone in the middle of what might be the worst day they’ve ever experienced.

It wasn’t that long ago when dispatchers did their work in emergency communication centers (ECCs) using analog phones, taking notes on paper documents. These days, incidents can be tracked with GIS technology, messages can be sent via text, video footage can streamed in from automated drones and, as of this week, all of it can be seen on a single screen…

A plea to first responders: Join FirstNet to expand your communications options

Decision-making. We all have our methods, but how can you be sure you’re not making decisions that leave a better choice on the table? When budget dollars are tight and expectations are high, it helps to get critical procurement decisions right the first time, and the best way to accomplish that is to truly understand your choices.

Optimizing technology in order to meet the expectations of your citizens and administrators is no longer optional. The slow burn of technological advancement within public safety has hit what might best be described as the powder keg of progress. With it comes stiff competition for your precious budget dollars and an inherent expectation your team is already leveraging every technological advantage most 12-year-olds use every day. When it comes to under-utilizing readily available technology to best serve, “I didn’t know about it” will not be a defense…

Promoting Collaboration: Telecommunicators and Field Responders

Promoting Collaboration: Telecommunicators and Field Responders

Collaboration is the key to any good partnership. As a public safety telecommunicator or a responder, the radio can become just a voice on the other end of the line, and not a real person. As our small, law enforcement-run agency expanded in rural South Dakota, we wanted to maintain our connection to field responders with whom we interacted daily.

The Watertown South Dakota 9-1-1 Center had great partnerships with our law enforcement officers. However, we struggled with communicating our dispatch procedures to our area ambulance and fire departments. In a few years, we had grown from dispatching for two counties to six, and taken on dozens of fire and ambulance agencies…