Updated dispatch deployed in Bella Vista (AR)

BELLA VISTA — Emergency dispatchers are working with an updated system providing more detailed maps and allowing for more rapid deployment.

Administrative Lt. Ryan Harmon said the new system, Intrado Viper, is the standard system for all of Benton County’s public safety answering points. The system is used by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Bentonville, Rogers and Siloam Springs dispatch units, he said…

Volunteer for the Canadian Civic Location Data eXchange Format Working Group

As Canada moves to a NENA i3 based NG9-1-1 infrastructure nationally, there is a need to create a Canadian profile for the PIDF-LO to convey civic locations in a common standardized form across the country, interoperable with neighboring countries also moving to NG9-1-1. The focus of this new Working Group is to provide a deliverable standard  that represents the Canadian profile of PIDF-LO to its addressing standards, with consideration to the depiction of non-addressed locations (e.g. cross streets, natural formations, etc.), as appropriate…

FirstNet Helps Tennessee Public Safety Respond to Tornado Damage (TN)

Throughout the night on March 2-3, 2020, a supercell thunderstorm traveled through the middle of Tennessee, producing several violent tornadoes that wrecked multiple buildings and took several lives. Shortly after midnight on March 3, an EF-3 tornado with winds up to 165 miles per hour carved a path over 50 miles long through Nashville, severely damaging the local airport. As the supercell moved east, an EF-4 tornado touched down near Putnam County, producing winds up to 175 miles per hour – the strongest tornado the nation has seen in nearly three years…

The EF-4 tornado destroyed over 100 structures, including part of a local public safety radio tower. With this critical component damaged, responders turned to FirstNet to communicate and carry out damage assessment. READ MORE

Preckwinkle Issues Veto Of Resolution To Share Addresses Of COVID-Positive Individuals With First Responders (IL)

On May 21, 2020, the Cook County Board of Commissioners narrowly passed Item No. 20-2378, that calls for Cook County Department of Public Health to temporarily share addresses of COVID-19 positive patients to municipal first responders through Public Safety Answering Point (“PSAP)” dispatch systems. 

During the May 21 board meeting, President Preckwinkle responded to the vote calling it “discouraging and dismaying” to not listen to Cook County and State health experts who opposed the measure… READ MORE

Commissioners reject radio comms proposals (TX)

Proposals to upgrade the county’s radio communications made it to the chopping block after being placed on the Cooke County Commissioners’ Court meeting agenda for the third time in recent weeks.

On Monday, May 18, members of the court unanimously agreed to reject all proposals to upgrade the county’s public safety radio communications system. Commissioners meet inside the Commissioners’ Courtroom at the Cooke County Courthouse in downtown Gainesville…

Law enforcement access to COVID-19 patient details sparks controversy (TN)

A national investigation by The Associated Press found that there has been widespread information sharing between emergency dispatchers and public health officials across the U.S. concerning individuals testing positive for COVID-19.

Per the AP, local governments in at least 35 states have shared COVID-19 patient details with dispatch centers. The premise behind this information sharing is to keep police, EMTs, and firefighters informed of potential risks as they respond to calls at the residence of someone who has tested positive for the virus. However, this has caused concern among some civil liberties groups…