9-1-1 emergency: Battling stress in the communications center

2020 has been a challenging year. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, recent civil unrest and an increasingly hostile political environment, the challenges are unlikely to go away anytime soon.

Many Americans are experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety due to these challenges. For those who serve as a lifeline to the public during these uncertain times, the stress level is especially compounded.

We must ensure 9-1-1 professionals take proactive measures to prioritize their mental health and well-being now more than ever…

When 911 Needs 911

What is your plan when your center finds itself in need of 911? Other than the involuntary “Oh sugar (use expletive of your choice),” do you have a plan? Do you know where to find the plan? We deal with other people’s problems and emergencies day in and day out. What happens when you at work need 911 yourself?

Do you call 911 and get your co-worker who has the same number of clues as you? Do you yell for the supervisor? What if you are the supervisor? Um … who does the supervisor call? I better know if I’m in charge, or I better be able to competently wing it until someone more knowledgeable takes control…

Public safety transitioning to LTE-based solutions, but PTT timetable still unclear, speakers say

Public-safety users are benefiting from the data-oriented capabilities enabled by LTE on trusted networks today and also will transition voice communications to the broadband platform, although the timetable for this change remains unclear, according to experts discussing the topic this week.

Jeff Johnson, executive director of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and former vice chair of the FirstNet Authority, said that LTE and broadband communications already dominate the public-safety data arena…

Version 3 of the NENA i3 Standard for NG9-1-1 Available for 2nd Public Review & Comment

The NENA i3 Standard for Next Generation 9-1-1 provides detailed functional and interface specifications for Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) and serves as the foundation for NENA’s suite of NG9-1-1 standards. As this is a 2nd public review, only the highlighted edits are open for comment.

Version 3 includes key updates to NG9-1-1 infrastructure to ensure continued support for interoperability on a national and international scale… READ MORE

New 911 Regulations: Yes, These Apply to Your Organization

Compliance for Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act, newly enacted 911 regulations, is mandatory for any business that uses a phone system with more than one phone line. Failure to comply could result in legal liabilities, yet many organizations aren’t aware of their responsibilities. Are you? The questions below will help you assess how ready your organization is to meet the requirements of Kari’s Law, which went into effect on Feb. 16, and RAY BAUM’S Act, which goes into effect on Jan. 6, 2021… READ MORE