As you saw, last week we published the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The PSSA was not alone, a number of other comments were filed as well. Next come reply comments, which are due at the FCC before Christmas (the closing date is right after Christmas).
A number of these submitted comments are worth reviewing and perhaps filing reply comments. For example, radio astronomers are concerned about what will happen if the 4.9-GHz public-safety band is taken away and given to the states. Radio astronomers have reason to be concerned since they use the spectrum just above the public-safety 4.9-GHz band. I think they would feel better if the FCC would agree that the public-safety spectrum should be licensed on a nationwide basis with a band manager. The band manager would work closely with the radio astronomers to ensure there would be no interference in either direction on a nationwide basis. Without this manager, radio astronomers would potentially have to deal with a large number of individual license holders across the United States…
CRESTVIEW — The largest piece of the funding mix to pay for a massive Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office emergency communications equipment project fell into place Tuesday.
That’s when the County Commission unanimously agreed to borrow $19.7 million from the Santa Rosa Beach branch of Trustmark National Bank to cover the bulk of the $26.5 million project. It could be completed by early to mid-2024…
It’s a common refrain among those of us who work in 911 centers that we don’t take compliments, we take tragedies. Whether the call is about a heart attack, a house fire, a shooting, or a natural disaster, we’re trained to handle each call calmly and quickly. Quite often, things happen so quickly that we don’t know the outcome of the emergency.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve dealt with ever-changing emergency-response protocols and surges in calls about domestic violence, mental-health crises, and at-home illnesses. We’ve been faced with acute staffing shortages, and—in most centers—we’re unable to work remotely. However, we’ve continued to go to work every day, so that when anyone dials 911, someone is there to answer the call and send help…
WINCHESTER —The Frederick County Public Safety Communications on Wednesday went live with Next Generation 9-1-1.
“NextGen 9-1-1 is new technology that allows the public to share more detailed data such as videos, images, and text messages with your 911 communications center,” Tamara Perez, the county’s director of public safety communications, said in a news release. “With the enhancement of 911 through NextGen, everyday information from your smartphone, medical devices, car computers, and building alarms can be shared with your 911 center…
The Metropolitan Emergency Communications Center (MECC) opened on Tuesday and wanted to bring faster response times to people.
Columbus, Ohio — The new 911 Dispatch Center for the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Center (MECC) opened on Tuesday.
Leaders say that bringing the Gahana police dispatch to the same room as the fire brigade in Plain Township, Jeffersontown, Whitehall, Trulo Township, and Violet Township can help people faster in an emergency. I am…
U.S. senators today voted to confirm FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to a third term, assuring that Rosenworcel can remain on the commission through 2025 and avoiding an unusual scenario in which Republicans could have held an FCC majority while a Democrat president was in office.
Senators voted 68-31 to support President Joe Biden’s renomination of Rosenworcel, whose second term expired earlier this year and would have been required to step down from the FCC at the end of the month without a confirmation vote. Without a confirmation vote this month, Republicans would have held a 2-1 majority at the FCC at least temporarily while the Senate considered the nominations of Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn to fill the Democrat vacancies on the five-member commission…
