Study: 911 system consolidation in Sebastian County feasible; cost savings possible (AR)

Study: 911 system consolidation in Sebastian County feasible; cost savings possible (AR)

Call volumes

The call center at the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office received 13,070 emergency calls and 78,500 nonemergency/administrative calls in 2020, which comes to a total of 91,570 calls. The Fort Smith Police Department call center got 57,045 emergency calls and 150,960 nonemergency calls that same year while the Fort Smith EMS call center received 14,407 emergency calls and 49,928 nonemergency calls, resulting in totals of 208,005 and 64,335 respectively.

FORT SMITH — A full consolidation of the 911 system in Sebastian County was determined through a study to be both operationally and technologically feasible, with potential cost savings on the table…

Menominee County joins Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS)

Menominee County joins Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS)

MENOMINEE, Mich. (WJMN) – According to Menominee County 911, the Menominee County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to replace the county’s more than 20-year-old emergency communications system.

The County began working with GCCSS Consulting in early 2020 to evaluate the current system and explore replacement options. Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) is an 800 MHz radio system owned and maintained by the State of Michigan. The system is the second-largest trunked communication system in the world, 79 out of 83 Michigan counties operate on the system…

Dispatchers get tech to pinpoint 911 callers (CA)

Dispatchers get tech to pinpoint 911 callers (CA)

SAN BERNARDINO — The communications center that runs the dispatch for San Bernardino County Fire Department and handles all 911 calls for fire or emergency medical services is working with new partners and technology to accurately track cellphones during 911 calls.

“Our biggest delay in processing 911 calls is not knowing where they’re at or a language barrier,” said ConFire director Art Andres. “This stops those delays.” …

Emergency 911 text now available to residents in Grosse Pointe communities, Harper Woods (MI)

Emergency 911 text now available to residents in Grosse Pointe communities, Harper Woods (MI)

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. – Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 30, citizens anywhere in the Grosse Pointe communities and Harper Woods will be able to send text messages directly to 911 in case of an emergency.

Having the option to text during an emergency is beneficial to everyone who does not have the opportunity to express the severity of the matter, especially for the hearing impaired, speech disabled, and those engaged in acts such as home invasions or an abusive partner name a few…

Public Safety Advocate: PSSA 4.9 GHz Filing with FCC, How to File

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) stay request for the previous FCC’s plan to take back the 50 MHz of 4.9-GHz spectrum it had granted to public safety in 2002. Claiming it is under-utilized, the FCC planned to hand this spectrum over to each state. The idea was that each state would award a master lease for the spectrum to a third party, which would then determine what the spectrum would be used for in that state.

Most recently, the FCC issued the Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the 4.9-GHz spectrum (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WP Docket 07-100). This NPRM contains language which, if accepted by the commissioners, would return the spectrum to the public-safety community…