by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 15, 2021 | Comm Center News
This commentary is by Stephen Whitaker of Montpelier, an author who has worked for 30 years on integrating planning, government transparency and accountability, public records access and more recently utility networks resiliency.
Vermont finally has a newly adopted 10-year telecommunications plan, the first since 2004, noncompliant with statute on nearly every count, and based on the erroneous assumptions that most business users and public safety communications needs are in “pretty good shape.”
We can all thank Gov. Scott, Matt Dunne/RISI, CTC Technology and Engineering and the corrupt, incompetent Public Service Department for our broadband quagmire and derailed public safety communications resilience trajectory…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 15, 2021 | Comm Center News
SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) – A Saginaw murder may put the spotlight on the need for more police officers in the city.
23-year-old Nala Wallace was found shot to death on a porch on the southwest part of the city in the early morning hours of July 5th.
That wasn’t the only shooting in the city that morning.
The 9-1-1 audio we have listened to indicates there were at least two other shootings with injuries in the city at that time. Still, the one they couldn’t get to in a timely fashion was the only one that turned deadly…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 15, 2021 | Comm Center News
Skagit 911 is seeking approval from its governing board to put a 0.1% sales tax increase on the November ballot.
That amounts to a $1 increase on a $1,000 purchase and would generate roughly $3.85 million annually and give the county’s emergency dispatch center a permanent funding mechanism to maintain and improve its infrastructure.
Skagit 911’s board will meet again in about two weeks to decide whether to ask voters for the increase. The deadline to put such a measure on the general election ballot is in mid-August…
by ECC Editor | Jul 15, 2021 | Comm Center News, Resources
The FirstNet App Catalog is a library of pre-evaluated and approved mobile apps dedicated to serving and supporting the public safety community. All Applications listed in the FirstNet catalog have been scanned for malware and severe security vulnerabilities to better protect the public safety community. Certified apps have passed more stringent security assessment.
FirstNet empowers first responders and those that support them with reliable access to voice, data, and video in the field. Public safety professionals, systems, and information are connected to this dedicated communications platform via purpose-built devices. These FirstNet Ready™ devices include trunk-mounted routers, smartphones, tablets, computers, and data
terminals as well as wearables, sensors, and IoT devices. With reliable connectivity and the ever-growing array of smarter and smarter devices, an expansive green field of mobile apps is now available to the public safety community. View the FirstNet App Catalog online.
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 15, 2021 | Comm Center News

On behalf of Pro-M, the operator of the Hungarian Public Safety Network, Hytera Mobilfunk (HMF) has tested a multi-cell, mission-critical LTE network in real operation.
The central 700 MHz LTE test system was set up in the city centre of Budapest and consisted of an LTE core, the MCx application server (MCS) and two SmartOne dispatchers.
In addition, a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote radio unit (RRU) were installed at each of three other locations…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 15, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
We will start this Advocate with an introduction to the “No Noise Task Force” (NNTF), which operates under the auspices of the Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC). The NNTF will be investigating in-building communications, primarily for the public-safety community, but also for all of us who need to communicate while inside buildings. Then we will look at eight approved vendors for Push-To-Talk (PTT) over FirstNet and give a nod to Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG911).
The Need for In-Building Wireless Communications
Over several decades, organizations, companies, people, and first responders have transformed the way we communicate. Today, we have robust fixed and wireless broadband systems, most of our smartphones and tablets are connected wirelessly, and 80% of all calls received by Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) are delivered through wireless devices and networks…