First responders hold trunk or treat for kids (TN)

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Gibson County Emergency Dispatch held a social distancing trunk-or-treat.

Cars drove by with kids inside in the Gibson County E-911 parking lot. First responders passed out candy in order to bring a since of normalcy during COVID-19.

Because of the pandemic, kids are not able to walk up to homes while trick-or-treating, so first responders brought it to them…

Butler County fire chiefs lose out on $2M grant to replace obsolete radios (OH)

A group of 14 Butler County fire departments was hoping to receive $2 million to replace obsolete radios, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected the application this week.

“We are disappointed that we were not awarded the grant but understood going in that (Assistance to Firefighters Grants) are very competitive,” said Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Ethan Klussman, whose department led the grant effort…

Driving in-building public safety communications to scale

In an emergency situation, first responders need to have access to robust, reliable in-building communications systems–you won’t find any disagreement among public safety leaders and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) as well as building owners, systems integrators and technology vendors on this point. But if that’s the case, then why haven’t these critical communications systems widely proliferated throughout buildings of all sizes and functions?

To be sure, notable progress has been made over the last 20 years. But given some 5.5 million buildings, that aforementioned stakeholders are just not scaling fast enough, affordably enough, or cooperatively enough to meet market demand…

NENA 2021 Call for Papers Now Open

From now through December 4, NENA is accepting session proposals for the NENA 2021 Conference & Expo taking place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH from June 26 – July 1.

Presenting a session at NENA 2021 is an excellent opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with an audience of 9-1-1 professionals eager to gain and share information. It is also your chance to give back to the profession and help inspire, inform, and educate attendees on a variety of important issues.

To ensure your submission receives due consideration, please ensure that:

  • Your proposal is issue-focused, not product-focused;
  • Your 65-word presentation description contains a precise objective…

Task Force to Address Workplace Issues at AZ 9-1-1 Center

The results of a workplace assessment recently completed for Tucson’s Public Safety Communications Department has caused concern among city leaders who are working to address “fundamental problems in the operation of the department.”

The department is responsible for dispatching 9-1-1 calls for police and fire departments.

The third-party review by Traaen & Associates LLC includes interviews with 108 employees and outlines a variety of workplace issues, including staffing levels, recruitment, training, employee morale, instances of harassment and lack of accountability… READ MORE