MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (WSIL) — Jackson County has partnered with CivicPlus® to implement a new mass notification software designed to improve how the county communicates urgent and routine information to residents.The CivicPlus Mass Notification System will allow Jackson County officials to distribute emergency alerts, warnings, instructions, and general communications through multiple channels, including email, text messages, and voicemail. The system is intended to provide residents with timely, actionable information during emergencies, delivered through their preferred method of communication.

Lawmakers in Congress have taken their first tentative steps towards reauthorizing authority for the nation’s dedicated public safety communications network ahead of its sunset in 2027.Advocates had already started gathering momentum towards reauthorizing the First Responder Network Authority, the dedicated communications network known as FirstNet. The effort has already received support from public safety officials via a joint letter and prior congressional testimony, while the National Association of State Chief Information Officers included it as a federal advocacy priority for 2026 .And elected officials are now taking a look themselves ahead of the February 2027 reauthorization deadline, initially with a Senate subcommittee hearing held this week. A House subcommittee hearing is slated to follow next week to discuss a just-introduced discussion draft of reauthorization legislation.

he Upshur County Emergency Communications Center worked with ‘K9s For Warriors’ to recruit a station dog. Chelsea, a two-year-old German Shepard Mix, will be a therapy dog for Telecommunicators and First Responders, said officials. K9s For Warriors is the nation’s...

Washington — A bipartisan bill that would mandate a federal compliance report on an existing law that requires new multiline phone systems to allow direct 911 calls is advancing in the House. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology...

If you dial 9-1-1, you expect someone to answer—no matter what. That’s a promise public safety teams make to every community, and it’s a promise that technology must keep too. But as we upgrade our nation’s communication networks from legacy infrastructure to modern...

A nearly $5 million project to expand the Perquimans-Gates 911 Communications Center has begun. “The 911 Center floor space will be moving from approximately 500 square feet to approximately 2,000 square feet,” said Jonathan Nixon, director of Perquimans County...

LakeComm officials say a “hardware malfunction” is to blame for an hour-long 911 phone outage Thursday afternoon at Lake County’s newest and largest dispatch center that also likely caused Waukegan’s 911 Center to have an outage. The Lake Consolidated Emergency...

TOPEKA, Kan. — If you call 911 in Kansas and need help administering CPR there’s roughly a 50-50 chance you’ll get any instructions. That’s because dispatchers in roughly half of Kansas counties are not trained. READ FULL ARETICLE

  OSSIPEE — Between September and November 2025, more than 70 emergency dispatchers from across New Hampshire participated in a new statewide initiative to strengthen mental health response skills for 911 personnel. The full-day, in-person trainings were offered...

Callers to Akron Police Department's non-emergency line might already have interacted with the department's newest piece of technology — an AI-powered virtual assistant named Ava. Ava's job is to route callers to the right division — the traffic unit or the detective...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — An outside investigation has identified significant problems with the human resources operations at the Metropolitan Department of Emergency Communications (DEC), and Mayor Freddie O’Connell has placed its director, Steve Martini, on...

  SPOKANE, Wash. – Mayor Lisa Brown has appointed Stephen Williams as the new Director of Emergency Communications to lead the development of Spokane's new emergency communications center, the Spokane United 911 Network (SUN).

Reliable mission critical communications (MCC) is the gold standard for any public safety agency. In plain language, reliable MCC translates into voice, video, and data communications that must get through no matter how chaotic the incident scene is. In fact, the more...

To better manage emergency communications and to coordinate responses during the legendary New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City’s Times Square this year, the New York City Police Department and AT&T turned the company’s retail phone store in the metro hub...

FORT SMITH -- The Fort Smith Police Department Communications Unit transferred to the River Valley Communications Center Wednesday, according to a news release from the Police Department. The Fort Smith dispatchers will begin operating under the supervision of the new...

In a split decision, Lincoln County commissioners voted to begin negotiations for a Damariscotta property as a possible new public safety building complex. County officials began considering moving the sheriff’s department, emergency management agency and communication center in 2023 following a consultant’s report. The decision was made following a structural assessment of the sheriff’s building. An advisory committee consisting of Sheriff Todd Brackett, EMA Director Emily Huber and Communications Director Tara Doe are the current committee members charged with finding a suitable centralized location with easy access to Route One and 15 acres of land for the complex. On Dec. 16, the search possibly came to a conclusion as a possible location was identified by the committee. Commissioners William Blodgett and David Levesque voted to begin negotiations with a Damariscotta landowner. District 1 Commissioner Evan Goodkowsky opposed the location. “Not for me,” Goodkowsky said. “I want it west of the Damariscotta River.” Goodkowsky opposed the location due to unacceptable emergency response times to his district which includes towns in the Boothbay region, Wiscasset and Westport Island. County Administrator Carrie Kipfer responded the search committee had searched in the location preferred by Goodkowsky without success. She reported one parcel was too small (five acres), a second was not for sale, and a third one, near Sherman Lake, had unbuildable terrain. Brackett urged commissioners to reach a unanimous decision, and believed a “united front” was important for the project. He told commissioners this was the largest county project since Two Bridges Regional Jail. He suggested, if taking more time helped reach a unanimous decision, the board should consider it. He also recommended possibly considering locations just off Route One. “If you want us to look further, there are a couple sites further up the Sheepscot River. Nobody looked at them because we focused on easy access to Route One,” he said. “As we move forward, it’s crucial we all be on the same page. This may go to referendum so unanimous support, from the board, maybe worthwhile in the long term.” Blodgett disagreed. He wanted the commissioners to follow recommendations made by the consultant and search committee to finalize a site location. “I really don’t think more time will result in a better location. So, let’s go ahead,” he said.  Kipfer cautioned that the project still has many hurdles to clear prior to the new public safety center becoming a reality. 

SPOKANE, Wash. – Leaders from the city and county reached a significant agreement that will shape the future of emergency call services in Spokane. The city plans to establish its own 911 dispatch center, moving away from its contract with the Spokane Regional Emergency Communications Center (SREC).

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Residents seeking non-emergency services from Akron police will now be routed to “Ava,” an artificial intelligence virtual assistant, the department said. Those who call 911, however, will still speak to a person.