Live911 is Changing the Game for Emergency Response

When you are in an emergency and waiting for help to arrive, every minute seems like forever. You call 911, give them your location and explain what is happening and while on the phone they dispatch the appropriate agency. What if you did not have to wait for the 911 telecommunicator to dispatch? A new app is being used in California that has helped speed up the emergency response time.

HigherGround, a software development agency that specializes in telecommunications, has developed the Live911 application that allows police officers to listen 911 calls in real time. Police officers in Clovis, California began using the Live911 app about a year ago, and today, around 60% of the department is using the technology… READ MORE 

The Multitalented, Multitasking Public Safety Polymath

The Multitalented, Multitasking Public Safety Polymath

Excellence in the ECC depends on a telecommunicator’s understanding of the public and first responders in the field.

[Originally published in the March/April 2021 PSC magazine.]

By David Larson

You have probably heard of Leonardo da Vinci, the 15th-century architect, artist, engineer, inventor and scientist. Leonardo da Vinci was a man of a great many talents, what one would refer to as a Renaissance man. Nowadays, this term has become interchangeable with the word polymath. Public safety telecommunicators can be the polymaths of public safety…

Remote Workers and RAY BAUM’s Act: A Perfect Storm

By now, everyone should be familiar with rapidly deploying technologies that support pandemic remote work initiatives and have most likely heard of Kari’s law and RAY BAUM’s Act E-911 requirements. As mentioned in my previous post, A Tale of 3 Approaches to Supporting Remote Workers,” I outlined some of the ways organizations rapidly deployed technology supports workers at home. Here, I’ll explain the impact that RAY BAUM’s Act phases will have on the remote work environment… READ MORE

Public Safety Advocate: A Look Back, News, More Next Week

The last week in February is very busy for me. I am working to complete a number of projects and I am still looking for time to get back to my book on FirstNet history, which I thought would have been completed by now. Therefore, this week I will be brief. I am providing a quick look at some news items and look back at my April 15, 2013 Advocate in which I referred to an important document published by the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) that I believe should still be of interest to elected officials today…

Public Safety Features To Consider For In-Building Connectivity

Public safety communications systems are not only essential for first responders but are required in multidwelling apartments, stadiums, hospitals, schools, enterprises and any other occupied building. These emergency responder communication enhancement systems (ERCES) ensure seamless connectivity in all areas of a building, including exit stairwells and passageways, elevators and basements…