AUSTIN, Texas — It’s been over a month since Austin City council voted to cut over 21 million from the Austin police department budget. Up to 130 million dollars in departments and functions could be moved outside of APD control as city leaders continue discussions over how to reimagine public safety in the community… READ MORE
OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (PRESS RELEASE) – The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is one of the first agencies in the country to implement a new Motorola Solutions 9-1-1 pilot program that allows citizens to send video, photographs, and recordings directly to dispatchers in the Communications Unit via their cell phones.
“With a few extra clicks, dispatchers can send the 9-1-1 caller a link to use to provide secure video or images in a controlled environment in real time so we can see what they are seeing,” said OCSO Asst. Communications Director Audrey Adams… READ MORE
Members of a federal working group to guide the nation’s transition to an IP-based 911 system warned during a virtual event Wednesday that the emergency call system has a particularly large attack surface during this transitional period.
States and their emergency call centers have been upgrading their equipment and regional telecommunications infrastructure for several years in anticipation of next-generation 911, which will allow sharing of data like photos and videos… READ MORE
| The following statements may be attributed to Dan Henry, Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for NENA: The 9-1-1 Association:
“America’s 9-1-1 community is encouraged by the U.S. House of Representatives votes this week to ensure a resilient communications network amid the coronavirus pandemic. We commend Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) for their advocacy on behalf on these common sense, bipartisan improvements to our nation’s telecommunications system.” |
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to make more efficient use of the 4.9 GHz band, of which 50 megahertz was designated for public safety use back in 2002. But he’s facing opposition from a slew of public safety organizations.
The item, which is on the FCC’s open meeting agenda for September 30, would give states the right to lease 4.9 GHz spectrum to commercial entities, electric utilities and others. According to the chairman, only about 3.5% of potential licensees – or less than 1 out of 25 – are actually using the 4.9 GHz spectrum due to the licensing structure…
The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to protect public safety communications in the T-Band, used for mission-critical communications, and interoperable communications with other agencies.
The T-Band (470 MHz – 512 MHz) currently operates in 11 major metropolitan areas — Boston, New York City, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco/Oakland…
