FRESNO, Calif. — It’s the calls for help when a child is drowning that stay with Matt Mendes, a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatcher who has worked his way up to supervisor.Dispatchers rarely get closure after sending an officer to a scene, he said.| REGISTER: Building public confidence in an era of public safety innovation“We have to hear the screams and the cries for help. We have to make up the scenarios in our heads,” Mendes said. “I do think that we have it tough. We may not see the bodies, but we still have to hear it.

Fairview more than doubles public safety fee

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026

The Beaumont City Council has approved a three-year service agreement with Axon Enterprise for artificial intelligence-assisted dispatch software designed to help the Police Department manage increasing calls for service while improving emergency communications. The council voted June 16 to authorize the city manager to execute the agreement for Axon’s Prepared AI dispatching software.

“After she said they would dispatch, you know, the fire department, then, that’s what I guess she thought I hung up,” Wilson said. READ FULL ARTICLE

Major events are stress-testing systemsSome of the clearest examples of this challenge can be found in the major events that increasingly define modern public safety operations: the Super Bowl, political conventions, large-scale concerts, major marathons and international sporting events.

An upcoming session at the 2026 Vision FirstNet Users Summit titled “Bridging Broadband and LMR: FirstNet Fusion and the Rise of Hybrid Devices” will explore how public safety agencies can modernize their communications environments while maintaining the reliability of land mobile radio.Centered on FirstNet Fusion and hybrid devices, the session will outline how integrating broadband with existing LMR systems can deliver real-time interoperability across 5G/LTE and radio networks.

If someone experiences chest pains in Waukegan and calls 911 on their cellphone, the dispatcher on the other end will know precisely where they are and the right questions to ask so the ambulance crew knows exactly what to do when it arrives on the scene.

Rules expected to enhance reliability of networks supporting NG911, as well as seeking comments on proposed testing of interstate interoperability. In the wake of multi-state 911 service outages, FCC commissioners recently voted unanimously to approve rules that are...

“For several hours during the height of the storm, the Monmouth County Communication Center was unable to answer incoming 911 calls as quickly as they were being received,” O’Halloran said. “Wall Township Police Communications assumed overflow call taker...

Local government sits at the operational center of emergency and crisis response systems. Counties in 48 states and the District of Columbia operate, fund and manage thousands of the nation's public safety answering points (PSAPs), or 911 call centers. PSAPs handle...

People calling 911 during an emergency in parts of San Diego County can expect to wait. 

State-Funded Programs Support Emergency Communication Systems Across the State by Strengthening Emergency Response Capabilities Funding to Support New Projects, Equipment Installation and Enhanced Communications Channels at Local Levels READ FULL ARTICLE

Cumberland County and the City of Fayetteville approved a joint resolution on Wednesday, July 8. This decision establishes a framework for a unified Public Safety Answering Point, combining emergency communications into one center through a Joint Governance Board with...

The companies hired to replace California’s “vulnerable” 911 network with a new cutting-edge system claim the state abruptly abandoned a fully built, deployment-ready system and replaced it with a new plan they say could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions more. The...

Eleven years in 911 communications taught one dispatcher that purpose isn’t defined by a headset. In a heartfelt letter, Samantha Hawkins reflects on fear, resilience and finding a new way to serve public safety. READ FULL ARTICLE

 As severe storms swept through Abilene Sunday evening, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain, dispatchers were working behind the scenes to answer an unprecedented number of emergency calls. READ FULL ARTICLE

As Nashville hosted a historic two-day celebration marking America’s 250th anniversary of independence, Nashville 911 personnel handled 7,438 calls across emergency and non-emergency lines while exceeding the national standard for answering 911 calls.

Three of four new members to the FirstNet Authority board have backgrounds featuring significant experience in 911. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has appointed four new members to the FirstNet Authority board—three of whom have resumes featuring significant...

Revenue bond-funded project marks a transformational investment in public safety infrastructure JONESBORO, AR – The City of Jonesboro celebrated the groundbreaking of its new E-911/Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) on Thursday, July 2, at 9:11 a.m. The...

Broadband  |  2026-07-02 FirstNet, Built with AT&T, is providing enhanced connectivity support to more than 75 public safety agencies across the United States as the country marks the 250th anniversary of its founding this week. The network...