by AllThingsECC.com | Feb 18, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Last week’s Advocate discussing the difference between FirstNet and commercial networks that concluded that FirstNet needs to continue to stand alone and not become part of a network of networks was one of the most viewed and commented on Advocates I have written in a while. Most of the comments agreed that FirstNet is different from a typical commercial broadband network from The FirstNet Authority down to the public-safety professionals whose network it is…
by ECC Editor | Feb 18, 2021 | Comm Center News
The towns of Concord and Acton will take their next steps toward a regional dispatch center when the town managers, police and fire chiefs present the findings of a study to the towns’ select boards Feb. 22.
The State 911 Department authorized the Edward J. Collins Jr., Center for Public Management to conduct the study as part of its inter-governmental services agreement (ISA) to aid the State 911 Department in its PSAP regionalization and regional emergency communications center (RECC) development efforts… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Feb 17, 2021 | Comm Center News
PITTSFIELD — The “sudden, tragic” death Tuesday of Berkshire County Sheriff’s dispatcher Sheila Hughes, known for her “calm voice,” has sent a shock through the sheriff’s office and larger community.
Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler said Wednesday morning that there are “unanswered questions here,” since Hughes, 60, was not known to have an illnesses that might have caused her to die so suddenly.
“I spoke to her fiance this morning,” Bowler said. “He and the family are distraught. They’re looking for some answers medically, as we all are”…
by ECC Editor | Feb 17, 2021 | Comm Center News
ACTON, MA — A study focused on the possibility of a regional emergency dispatch center between Acton and Concord found that the project was feasible for both towns.
Ahead of the presentations, town and public safety leaders have had discussions with Teamsters Local Union No. 25 who represent the Public Safety Dispatchers in each community, in order to ensure their inclusion and input in the process going forward… READ MORE
by AllThingsECC.com | Feb 17, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
By Richard Mirgon, Public Safety Consultant
This is a message for Verizon and Andres Irlando, a Verizon senior vice president and president of the carrier’s Public Sector and Verizon Connect unit. You are going down a path that is well traveled and not new. You can go back decades and see all the work done by thousands to resolve public safety interoperability and that path is lined with many failures.
Now since I am somewhat of an expert on this topic let me help you out with some observations and good history. You can look at all the standards work the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) has done, along with the work the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) has done. There are standards that cover everything from CAD to CAD interfaces, NextGen Networks to Land Mobile Radio (LMR). The largest having been P25. They have all had varying levels of success but none of those have solved the problem…
by ECC Editor | Feb 17, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Many business enterprises currently licensed to operate land-mobile-radio (LMR) networks on T-Band spectrum (470-512 MHz) are taking the first step this week toward making the first significant updates to their systems in almost nine years, when the FCC froze the band in anticipation of an auction that recently was scrapped… READ MORE
