The Iredell County Board of Commissioners reviewed several funding requests for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds during their winter retreat on Friday.
So far, Iredell County has received $17,656,842 in ARPA funds, which are provided by the federal government to recover losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A second installment this spring will boost the total to $35,313,684.
Various funding requests have been submitted to the board, but commissioners are waiting to make a final decision on most of the proposals until they learn more about recently announced state grant programs…
Stutsman County’s new 911 system will allow for better interconnection with state agencies, better workflow and texting to 911 to local dispatchers, according to Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking.
The new 911 system was installed the week of Jan. 17. Stutsman County is the second county in the state with a new mapping system, Kirking said.
“The big change for us is streamlining the workflow, and it is more connection with the state for information sharing, which is great to have when we have a corridor like (U.S. Highway) 281 and a corridor like Interstate 94,” he said…
A new fast, more efficient iteration of Virginia’s 9-1-1 system is now active in about 20% of the state, including Henrico County. In total, the new system is serving about 43% of the state’s population.
During the past four years, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia 9-1-1 Services Board have been working to transform Virginia’s 9-1-1 system into the Next Generation 9-1-1 (or NG9-1-1) system, which is based on a modern internet protocol network. The move was funded by the board. NG9-1-1 securely delivers 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate 9-1-1 center faster, transfers 9-1-1 calls and associated data where needed, and interconnects with other public safety systems and databases, according to state officials… READ MORE
The 911 center and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) held a ribbon cutting and open house for its new facility Friday, welcoming the public to view its new space in the basement of the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.
That “new space” was actually built originally with an eye on moving the 911 dispatch center there, Pulaski County Judge-Executive Steve Kelley and Pulaski Emergency Management/911 Director Aaron Ross said.
Across the United States, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) are understaffed. PSAPs are the crucial call centers where operators receive 911 calls and route them to the appropriate emergency service personnel—such as police departments, fire departments, or emergency medical services (EMS). Although staffing is a perennial problem for PSAPs, COVID-19 has further exacerbated the issue and put already overburdened staff under increasing amounts of stress.
At a time when more people are seeking work/life balance and positive mental health, it’s easy to surmise that many PSAP call-takers and dispatchers may be leaving the industry for jobs that are better paid, have nicer schedules, or that don’t require the stressful daily navigation of traumatic events… READ MORE
After more than four years of standing vacant, all city buildings at the Blossom Hill site are occupied, Brecksville officials announced.
Because there are rules about who can rent the buildings — lessees have to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or municipal or governmental entities — Service Director Ron Weidig told council’s finance committee the city had been unable to find suitable tenants.
“We’ve taken people through over the years but never had anyone actually interested,” Weidig said…
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
