Madison Co. commissioners honor first responders with 2 proclamations (NC)

MARSHALL – Commissioners honored first responders by adopting two proclamations supporting public safety telecommunicators and firefighters.

With National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 12-18, 2026, the Madison County Board of Commissioners recognized Madison County E-911 dispatchers during its April 14 meeting. The resolution was read by Commissioner Alan Wyatt, who has served with the Ebbs Chapel Volunteer Fire Department for nearly 30 years.

VA Police Dispatch: A Literal Lifeline For Veterans In Crisis | VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care (CA)

Dispatchers are trained to de-escalate crises using active listening techniques gathering critical information, and connecting Veterans to necessary resources. VAPD Dispatcher Lead Lesaie Brown has received specialized crisis intervention training that supports her and the rest of the dispatch team in these pivotal moments.

“You have to have patience, you have to be a listening ear, and you have to have a passion for this,” said Brown, who spent nearly 20 years as an alarm dispatcher before coming to VAPD. “I will go through whatever I can to save a Veteran.”

Dispatcher shortage at Harbor Police has agency eyeing retirees to fill positions (CA)

Fourteen dispatchers are supposed to staff the Harbor Police communications center. But by March, so few were available that cross-trained police officers were helping answer emergency calls.

Eight of the dispatcher jobs were filled, but two people were out on leave, and two others were trainees, still learning the job and working under the supervision of a training officer.

Lessons from deadly disasters: The case for reauthorizing FirstNet

What makes FirstNet such a functional and irreplaceable system is not only its technological capacity but also the institutional knowledge built over more than a decade. The Response Operations Group is composed of former first responders who understand past failures and anticipate problems, while maintaining direct, trusted relationships with local, state, and federal authorities. 

SOURCE: MSN

DATE: April 26, 2026

Congress must pass HR 7386 without delay. If it works, don’t touch it.

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Critical Linx Joins AT&T Alliance Channel as a Solutions Provider, Expanding Connectivity Options for Public Safety

Critical Linx, part of the Hughes Fire Affiliates, announced today that it is collaborating with FirstNet®, Built with AT&T to strengthen first responder communication by selling FirstNet services to eligible public safety customers.

Built specifically for public safety, FirstNet provides first responders with priority and preemption capabilities designed to help ensure reliable communications when it matters most. By combining FirstNet connectivity with the operational expertise and long‑standing public safety relationships of Critical Linx, this collaboration is designed to strengthen readiness, coordination, and response capabilities nationwide.

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