Santa Barbara, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has sent 21 Sheriff’s deputies and two communications dispatchers to El Dorado County to assist in the fight against the Caldor Fire. In addition, the Santa Barbara Police Department sent four officers, and the Lompoc Police Department sent two officers. These Santa Barbara County first responders will join a contingent of more than 100 law enforcement personnel from Region 1A (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Counties) who are responding to a request for assistance through a mutual aid agreement between all California law enforcement agencies that is coordinated through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services…
Last week, several readers pointed out that cloud-based interoperability might not always be best for network-to-network and network-to-Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Push-To-Talk (PTT) interoperability. For example, one reader suggested Los Angeles County (Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System, LA-RICS) and the Los Angeles City Police Department, which are using cloud-based interoperability between them, would be better served if they used direct interconnectivity instead of relying on a remote cloud. I agree, and I should have mentioned that one major vendor could become the only FirstNet-to-LMR interoperability provider. I also neglected to talk about my fear that even if this vendor’s PTT will interoperate with other already-certified FirstNet PTTs, there will be pricing discrepancies between this vendor and other push-to-talk providers that have already amassed a large number of FirstNet/LMR-integrated customers…
VAN NUYS, Calif. — Preparing for the worst and hoping it never happens — that’s the order of the day for Michael Schlenker, who is perched atop San Vicente Mountain Park on a Saturday morning. He is a volunteer with the Los Angeles Fire Department Auxiliary Communications Service, which is comprised of more than 100 amateur ham radio operators spread across four bureaus.
When all else fails during a disaster, they jump into action.
“Cell phone towers will go down, the power will go out and your cell phones will be rendered obsolete for communication,” Schlenker said. “If you have a ham radio, you’re able to reach out to those in your neighborhood or community.”
That is exactly why the group is so valuable to the LAFD for backup communications. On this day, he led a three-hour drill across the Southland, relaying fire and medical calls, just as they would during a disaster…
Kenzie Capece, Senior Public Safety Advisor, First Responder Network Authority
On August 26, the First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet Authority) Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) held a business meeting to report on committee operations, progress of recent working groups, and FirstNet’s most recent accomplishments and activities.
Welcome and Leadership Update
PSAC Chair Todd Early welcomed members with remarks that focused on his retirement from the PSAC and his appreciation for the work and expertise the PSAC provides to the FirstNet Authority.
FirstNet Authority Board Chair Tip Osterthaler and CEO Ed Parkinson announced that longtime PSAC and Executive Committee member Jonathan Olson, representing the National EMS Management Association, would serve as interim PSAC Chair, effective upon Todd’s retirement. Tip and Ed also took this opportunity to thank Todd for his leadership, guidance, and commitment to grow the FirstNet network during the years he served on the PSAC, including the three years serving as its Chair.
Sep. 1—KINGWOOD — Employees of the Preston County Sheriff’s Office and Preston County Office of Emergency Management /911 got a pay raise at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Preston County Commission.
Sheriff Paul Pritt asked the commission to increase pay to a level that would put the sheriff’s office in a better position to hire and retain personnel.
“Recently we’ve lost I think four, ” Pritt said. “So we just can’t keep anybody, we can’t get anybody to apply for the jobs, etc., etc.”
Pritt said deputies go beyond their role as law enforcement in ways that save the county money, such as in-house firearms and defense instructors…
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.
