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Enhanced 9-1-1 expands across state (VA)
A new fast, more efficient iteration of Virginia’s 9-1-1 system is now active in about 20% of the state, including Henrico County. In total, the new system is serving about 43% of the state’s population. During the past four years, the Virginia Department of Emergency...
County unveils new 911/EOC center (KY)
It’s almost moving day for Pulaski County 911. The 911 center and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) held a ribbon cutting and open house for its new facility Friday, welcoming the public to view its new space in the basement of the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center....
Ease PSAP staff shortages and burnout with supportive AI technology
Across the United States, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) are understaffed. PSAPs are the crucial call centers where operators receive 911 calls and route them to the appropriate emergency service personnel—such as police departments, fire departments, or...
Chagrin Valley Dispatch to lease remaining two Blossom Hill buildings (OH)
After more than four years of standing vacant, all city buildings at the Blossom Hill site are occupied, Brecksville officials announced. Because there are rules about who can rent the buildings — lessees have to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or municipal or governmental...
Wisconsin Bill Helps With Critical Funds for NG 911 Rollout
A Wisconsin bill co-authored by Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, will create a Geographical Information System (GIS) grant program to help counties with upgrades they need to deploy Next-Generation 911 (NG 911). Assembly Bill 708/Senate Bill 673 assists counties with...
St. Joseph County’s 911 director is stepping down after a challenging 4-year run (IN)
SOUTH BEND — The executive director of St. Joseph County’s combined 911 dispatch center will step down at the end of the month, the county announced Thursday, after a four-year run that was largely dominated by efforts to get the center on track after a rocky start...
Answering the call: 911 dispatchers making a difference (PA)
Jamie Huston works on the 911 dispatch desk in Bedford County on Monday. Mirror photo by Calem Illig BEDFORD — Nearly a dozen lives have been saved in the past two years with the help of a 911 dispatcher in Bedford County. It’s a job where “you never know what’s going...
Deschutes County 911 desperate for more staffing (OR)
Deschutes 911 is the latest industry impacted by a labor shortage. “We have seven current openings, and at this moment we don’t have any applicants that made it through our initial screening process,” said Chris Perry, General Operations Manager for Deschutes County...
Area state trooper posts get new dispatchers (KY)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — The Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced Friday that eleven telecommunicators, representing six posts across the commonwealth, have graduated from the KSP Telecommunications Academy. The graduates of Class 19 received 160 hours of instruction...
Director of County 911 Center stepping down; now seeking candidate to take place (IN)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The place you call for help in St. Joseph County has put out the help wanted sign. The director of the county’s consolidated 9-1-1 center is stepping down after four years on the job—although he’s not stepping out. Ray Schultz will move to a...
Frisco Police Department is one of three agencies in Texas to be dual credited
There are just three agencies in Texas that are dual credited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. And the Frisco Police Department is one of them. During a Tuesday Frisco City Council meeting, city officials celebrated the department’s...
Telecommunicator recognized for tough 9-1-1 call (IL)
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) – One of Champaign County’s very own is receiving a statewide honor for his work as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator. Two years ago, he helped keep a mother calm over the phone after her son murdered two people. Lance Buyno came to work at METCAD...
Morgan County 911 dispatcher, volunteer firefighter arrested for child porn possession (IN)
Paragon, Ind. — A 911 dispatcher and volunteer firefighter has been arrested and charged for possession of child pornography, according to the Indiana State Police.Online group catches Muncie man in child solicitation sting Luke Jobes, 23, was booked into the Morgan...
Los Lunas upgrades public safety communication (NM)
The Los Lunas fire and police departments implemented some much needed system upgrades to their communication channels last month, improving emergency response in the village. “This is the first time in my 23 years that we’ve been actually upgrading the entire system...
New York Power Authority pilots private LTE network with AT&T – Smart Energy International
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and communications provider AT&T agreed to pilot AT&T’s FirstNet technologies as part of a NYPA private wireless Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology pilot project. FirstNet is a nationwide, high-speed broadband...
Talks continue around proposed regional emergency dispatch program (MA)
REGION – A regional emergency dispatch system is still in the works in the area. But it’s still a long way away from coming to fruition. “There’s a tremendous amount of preliminary work before public officials can make a decision about something like this,” Hudson...
APCO Announces Final Approval of American National Standard
Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International received final approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on February 14, 2022, for a newly created American National Standard (ANS) titled Managing...
A nationwide 911 operator shortage has Milwaukee considering raising pay (WI)
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee, the county and the country are struggling to find the people many of us count on to be on the other side of the phone in an emergency, the 911 operators. In order to try to hire more people to do the job, the city is asking the Milwaukee Fire...
Work continues on backup for Vigo 911 dispatch center (IN)
Still-functional equipment will be re-used following upgrades occurring in Vigo County’s 911 Central Dispatch Center. Director Vickie Oster told the E911 Advisory Board on Wednesday the replaced equipment will be installed in the county’s backup dispatch center, which...
Hobart dispatcher wins Australasian award after life saving emergency response [VIDEO] (Tasmania)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLOEnDxLJ24 A Tasmanian emergency dispatcher has been honoured for his calm handling of an incident involving a 69 year old man who cut his leg with a power tool...
Reauthorization SurveyMORE>
PSBTA Releases Survey on First Responder Support for FirstNet Reauthorization
New Survey: First Responders Overwhelmingly Support Reauthorization of FirstNet
A new bipartisan national survey commissioned by the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association finds near- unanimous support among first responders for reauthorizing the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)– the agency overseeing America’s dedicated public safety broadband network.
PETITIONSMORE>
Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
PSBTA UpdatesMORE>
Podcast
FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz Spectrum
This episode dives into the critical evolution of public safety communications, focusing on the recent FCC decision to establish a nationwide Band Manager framework for the 4.9 GHz spectrum, and discuss the evolution and deployment of the FirstNet System. Host Chris Tubbs interviews Chief Jeff Johnson, a leader in public safety technology and the development of FirstNet. Together, they explore the history, governance, and transformative potential of FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz spectrum in enhancing public safety operations with emerging technologies like AI, 5G, and augmented reality. The discussion emphasizes the importance of protecting and optimizing public safety spectrum, the lessons learned from past advocacy efforts, and a call to action for public safety leaders to remain engaged in ensuring the spectrum’s effective use and governance.
LISTEN TO PODCAST
Public Sector GrantsMORE>
Webinar
Accessing Federal Resources When an Emergency or Major Disaster Strikes
In light of the major disasters that our nation has recently experienced, PS Grants is offering this FREE webinar to review Disaster Assistance Programs and how to access them. Learn what federal funds and resources are available through Disaster Assistance, understand the process of requesting assistance, know what to expect before, during, and after, and find out who to contact for help.
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