We need your help, public safety! On March 11, 2021 the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2021 as part of the LIFT America Act (H.R. 1848). Now we need to urge the Senate to fully fund this legislation.
How to show your support:
Call Senator Schumer’s Office at (202) 224-6542. Tell the office who you are, where you’re from, and deliver a simple request: “Please fully fund Next-Generation 9-1-1.”
This legislation provides $15 billion to update our nation’s 9-1-1 infrastructure, protect this infrastructure from cyber threats, and ensures that all members of the first responder community will be trained to effectively use Next Generation 9-1-1 technology to complete their mission: To save lives. This legislation will provide funding to not only update, but modernize the existing 9-1-1 infrastructure, as well as ensure interoperability, address cybersecurity concerns, and provide training for first responders and end users of the 9-1-1 system.
Durham, N.C. — As Durham continues struggling to handle 911 calls, some officials are calling for the city to adopt a mutual aid agreement with another emergency communications center.
WRAL has reported for months about how staffing issues at the 911 center have caused problems for Durham residents needing help. For a time, some 911 calls had to be routed to the Raleigh-Wake 911 Center because Durham didn’t have enough people to handle them.
But city records obtained by WRAL News show routing 911 calls through an outside agency has led to confusion and delayed responses in the past.
First responders were delayed in getting to a person threatening suicide, for example, and an incorrect address sent them to the wrong side of the city for an emergency call…
Habersham County’s E-911 dispatchers and first responders can look forward to receiving adequate radio technology in the near future as the county moves forward with the installation of a new radio system.
The Habersham County Commission voted 4-0 at their Monday night commission meeting to purchase and take the next steps in bringing a new E-911 radio system from Communications International, Inc. to the county.
Habersham’s dispatch crews and public safety have been working with an outdated radio system for some time now, with technology issues and equipment that cannot be replaced due to its age. The current radio system also does not cover the entire county– the industry standard is 95 percent coverage or more, and the county’s current system has coverage in the “upper 70’s, lower 80’s” percentage of the county, according to TUSA Consultant Alan Talkington, who has worked with the county through the process of finding the best radio system for the county’s needs and budget…
The City of New Haven, Connecticut, is considering spending more than $800,000 of Federal Emergency funding on data center projects for the local Police Department.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) promises to distribute more than $360 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to help them recover from Covid-19.
Post-pandemic reset program
The city of New Haven received more than $90 million in ARP funds. The New Haven Independent reports the City has used ARP money to fuel a $6 million summer reset program and is reserving $8 million for a new Department of Community Resilience which will look to tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health disorders, drug addiction, and prison reentry…
Friday, Sept. 24, was the last day on shift for Barrow County E-911 communications officer Johnny Savage. After more than 27 years of service in the public safety field, he has decided it is time to retire.
Savage began his public safety career in 1994, when he started volunteering with Oconee County Fire Rescue. In his 23 years with them, he worked his way through the ranks and was even assistant fire chief at one point in his career.
Savage came to Barrow County Emergency Services in 2002 when he joined the Barrow County E-911 Center. He started as a full-time communications officer and was promoted to supervisor later in his career. Throughout his time at BCES, he has witnessed many changes in leadership and the operations in the 911 Center; he has evolved through each change to “continue to provide the best quality of service to the citizens of Barrow County,” BCES officials said…
Washington County’s E-911 department and E-911 Director Kristi Stamnes are attaining recognition on a nationwide level.
Stamnes recently served as a committee member to help organize this year’s Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Conference, held last month in San Antonio. The conference had over 4,500 people in attendance and represented all 50 states, as well as the countries of Canada, Great Britain, Jamaica and Australia.
Stamnes said she was honored and humbled to take on a leadership role for the event…
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.
