Motorola Solutions introduces ‘Citizen Input’ service for 9-1-1 calls

Motorola Solutions recently announced a new service aimed at helping first responders better engage with citizens in their time of need.

CommandCentral Citizen Input allows citizens calling or texting 9-1-1 to send video, photographs and recordings of an incident to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), using controlled and permission-based procedures.

The service is now available to the public safety market and some governments are starting to incorporate it into their 9-1-1 programs… READ MORE

Put Aside Caller’s Anger

Put Aside Caller’s Anger

Dealing with irritated, angry people is periodically part of the emergency dispatcher’s job description. This can be particularly troublesome when dealing with life-or-death situations and the person on the other end of the phone is belligerent and angry. Since it’s an issue that won’t go away, it becomes a matter of defusing the anger and resolving the caller’s problem without resorting to anger and creating a more significant problem…

DHS funds risk assessment modeling tool development

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program has awarded $1.96 million to a pair of businesses to aid emergency communication network risk management assessments.

Orem, Utah-based Achilles Heel Technologies and SecureLogix, of San Antonio, Texas, were selected to participate in Phase II of the program based on demonstration of feasibility in Phase I for Network Modeling for Risk Assessment technology solutions… READ MORE

Motorola Solutions’ CommandCentral Citizen Input Is Available to the US Public Safety Market

Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) today announced that it has made a new service available to the public safety market — CommandCentral Citizen Input — which is designed to help 9-1-1 call takers to better engage with citizens in their time of need. Citizen Input is a cloud-based service that allows citizens calling or texting 9-1-1 to send video, photographs and recordings of an incident to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), using controlled and permission-based procedures…

Building meaningful public safety partnerships—one engagement at a time

By David Buchanan, Executive Director of Public Safety Advocacy, FirstNet Authority

Last year saw the release of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) Roadmap, the launch of network investment planning, and significant buildout of the network. It also saw a renewed commitment from our FirstNet Authority team of expert public safety advisors to engage with public safety and improve, expand, and bring innovation to FirstNet.

Through targeted engagements, our team has been working to better understand public safety’s technical and operational broadband needs and how FirstNet is impacting public safety operations today. Since January, our team has taken part in more than 900 in-person and virtual engagements, meeting with nearly 21,000 public safety stakeholders from across the country. Whether engaging in person or virtually, we have received recommendations and ideas to positively influence the FirstNet network’s path forward. READ MORE

FCC vote to expand use of 4.9 GHz, despite public safety’s protests

The Federal Communications Commission has voted along party lines to expand the use of the 4.9 GHz band, over objections from public safety users.

The 4.9 GHz spectrum, which consists of 50 megahertz (4.940-4.990 GHz), was designated for exclusive use by public safety for fixed and mobile services back in the early 2000s. That spectrum was allowed to be shared with non-traditional public safety responders. The FCC has now dropped the requirement that the spectrum be used for public safety-related activities. The GOP majority on the commission supported the view that due to the high cost of equipment in the band and the fact that its use is mostly confined to a few metropolitan areas, the spectrum is underutilized and states ought to be allowed to use it to “best meet their unique needs,” as the FCC said in a statement…