Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the state has awarded $10 million in aid to localities statewide to support emergency response operations. Administered by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, these grants will allow municipalities in 57 counties and New York City to make improvements to their 9-1-1 response and emergency service dispatch operations.
“In an emergency, time is of the essence and ensuring help is sent as quickly as possible is essential in keeping the community safe,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will enable our local partners to make critical improvements to their emergency communications infrastructure and continues New York’s steadfast commitment toward ensuring all counties have state-of-the-art dispatching as part of their emergency response operations…
Vermont DPS releases final draft of the Ten-Year Telecommunications Plan
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Service issued the final draft of the 2021 Vermont Ten-Year Telecommunications Plan on Thursday. The Ten-Year Plan was developed in partnership with CTC Energy and Technology and Rural Innovations Strategies, Inc. The 365-page Plan provides an overview of the current state of telecommunications services and facilities in the state, current trends in usage and adoption, and recommendations for improving access to broadband services throughout Vermont…
BLUE RIDGE, Ga – Commissioners approved moving dispatch to fall under the sheriff’s office at the June 8 meeting to go into effect July 1, 2021.
Chairman Jamie Hensley detailed how other counties operate dispatch. At a public safety case, he learned that Fannin was one of the only counties in the state where dispatch fell under the EMA, not the sheriff. ACCG recommended that the sheriff’s office oversees dispatch and Fannin’s dispatch used to fall under the sheriff.
According to Hensley, EMA Director Robert Graham, Sheriff Dane Kirby, and EMA/911 Deputy Director Patrick Cooke are fine with the change…
Kyra Lamb worked for Manatee County Emergency Communications, Florida, as a dispatcher for five years before becoming the 9-1-1 Database Coordinator, which still includes actively taking 9-1-1 calls. She was nominated by her agency to be featured by the APCO Young Professionals Committee for being a “spark plug” and always giving 110% in her performance. While working as a call taker she had a thirst for knowledge, taking on extra duties such as addressing, maintaining CAD information, and other databases. This made her the most qualified candidate for Manatee County’s 9-1-1 Database Coordinator. While learning all of this, she was also studying for the NENA ENP Exam, which she passed…
One of the biggest barriers to closing the digital divide has long been cost – it simply costs so much to put in the infrastructure that the return on investment takes too long or is simply non-existent, network operators have said. Now, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic when broadband has played a crucial role in enabling online work, school and personal connection, there are billions of dollars being dedicated to various aspects of broadband deployment, through various legislative efforts. At the federal level, these include:
-The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse auction for Universal Service Fund support in the coming decade wrapped up last December; the FCC is still reviewing the long-form applications of the presumptive winners. RDOF awards $9.23 billion in support of high-speed rural broadband deployment, with service tiers ranging from a minimum of 25/3 Mbps and up to gigabit speeds. The FCC said that the funds will be used in 49 states and one territory to connect nearly 5.3 million locations in 61,766 eligible census block groups…
(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) A public-records request sheds light on how the Arlington County Police Department justified a change to what the public can hear via police radio channels.
The Freedom of Information Act inquiry by ARLnow uncovered documents about the department’s March change to encrypt more radio chatter. The documents cited safety and security concerns, including some related to last summer’s police reform protests and the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Whereas the public — including news outlets like ARLnow and local TV stations — used to be able to hear more details about a police incident in progress in Arlington, now in most circumstances only the initial dispatch and basic information from the scene can be heard…
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.
