We will be in Washington, DC next week to participate in a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the bill that created FirstNet. Thus there will not be an Advocate next week but I will recap the anniversary activities the following week.
The survey we posted three weeks ago is still up and, again, if you have not had time to respond, I hope you will be able to take a few minutes to complete it this week. Thanks to all who have responded and those who will respond this week…
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management continues to work on the deployment of the Next Generation 9-1-1 system across the Commonwealth.
Fairfax County, in 2020, was the first public safety answering point (PSAP) to cutover to the AT&T Emergency Services IP Network. Today, the number of NG9-1-1 PSAPs in Virginia has increased to 25.
As described in the 2021 E9-1-1 Border Response Workgroup Report to the General Assembly, the Commonwealth’s legacy 9-1-1 system was built in the 1970s and is based on decades-old technology originally built to process landline calls. As Virginia moves forward to evolve 9-1-1 and ensure quality service to its residents and visitors, the Virginia 9-1-1 Services Board funded the move to a Next Generation 9-1-1 system…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded AT&T four separate contracts for modernized communications capabilities to help FEMA improve its ability to deliver its mission to help people before, during, and after disasters.
The four Task Orders, awarded via the General Services Administration’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract, are valued at more than ~$167 million over five years if all options are exercised.
In awarding these agreements, FEMA selects AT&T as its single integrated communications provider for the vast majority of its telecommunications services. These awards allow FEMA to identify and acquire advanced communications capabilities quickly and efficiently…
Still-functional equipment will be re-used following upgrades occurring in Vigo County’s 911 Central Dispatch Center.
Director Vickie Oster told the E911 Advisory Board on Wednesday the replaced equipment will be installed in the county’s backup dispatch center, which was built into the new city police headquarters on South Seventh Street.
“I’m so excited because we could be over there and set up within 30 minutes to an hour,” Oster said of any need to relocate the dispatch center in case of power loss or other emergency. “And it would be just like we are in dispatch here…
A power outage downtown impacted some Oklahoma City government buildings, including the interruption of receiving emergency calls at the 911 Communications Center.
The center could not receive calls between approximately 5 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., according to a news release from Oklahoma City police… READ MORE
Not many people can understand or empathize with the things first responders encounter during an emergency or even on a daily basis. Public safety service comes with great personal sacrifice, and many first responders silently carry the burden. Trauma can be difficult to discuss with others. First responders are dedicated to protecting others and too often, put themselves at the bottom of the priority list.
People don’t call 9-1-1 because they’re having a good day. And those experiences, those images that stay rooted in the mind, take a toll. Compared to the general population, first responders experience higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress, burnout, anxiety and other mental health issues. And in law enforcement, one study found a more than 20-year difference in life expectancy compared to the average American male…
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.
