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Summit county, cities formalize regional dispatch center collaboration (CO)
TALLMADGE — Cooperation among Summit County and several of its communities on a new regional dispatch center will improve emergency response times and safety, local leaders said Thursday morning as they gathered to formalize the new pact. "We are stronger when we are...
Dispatchers respond to increase in emergency calls (MT)
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Before firefighters race to burning buildings or police to a traffic incident, dispatchers answer the calls for someone needing help. “We hear everything,” dispatcher Jennifer LaCross said. “Anything can happen at any time. We have no idea what...
New mobile apps could save lives (VA)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Mobile phones can be lifesavers, and now, two apps can give people the ability to help someone suffering a cardiac arrest. PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED are 911-connected mobile apps that immediately alert users of cardiac...
MPD Emergency Communications Bureau celebrates 50 years of 9-1-1 (TN)
The first 9-1-1 call was made on February 16 in 1968. MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The National 9-1-1 Program acknowledged its 50th anniversary yesterday, February 16, celebrating half a century of providing emergency 9-1-1 call communications for U.S. citizens. According to the...
New technology allows people to message 9-1-1 in emergency situations (AL)
People in Jackson County now have another way to alert 9-1-1 in case of emergency. Johnny Robinson, the county’s 9-1-1 director, said the county has had the capability to accept text messages in emergency situations for about two years. However, he added, a lot of...
County 9-1-1 dispatchers to work 12-hour shifts (IN)
Shelby County 9-1-1 dispatchers will now be working 12-hour shifts on a six-month trial basis after the County Council approved the switch during Tuesday’s monthly meeting. Jason Abel, director of the 9-1-1 center, requested his employees be permitted to work 12-hour...
On this Day in 1968: First 911 Call was Made (AL)
ALABAMA – On February 16, 1968, Senator Rankin Fite completed the first 9-1-1 call made in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama. The serving telephone company was then Alabama Telephone Company. This Haleyville 9-1-1 system is still in operation today. 9-1-1 or...
Radio Backhaul Could Enhance Police Data-Transfer Capability
Sanjoy Datta, director of systems for the LAPD Emergency Command Control Communication Systems Division, says that while these are powerful mechanisms, they still leave room for radio backhaul as a useful and even necessary alternative. Given the possibility that cell...
‘Calming voice in the storm’: How San Angelo emergency dispatchers save lives (CA)
SAN ANGELO — There are more than 120,000 people across Tom Green County, yet when disaster strikes, one of 16 people will be the first step to getting help. When someone calls 911 in San Angelo — whether the call involves a pocket-dial or a massive fire — one of the...
Marysville to examine dispatch options (CA)
On paper, Tuesday night’s Marysville City Council discussion for approving the use of a consultant for the possible consolidation of dispatch services used by the city’s police and fire departments should have been a fairly cut and dry process. The possibility of...
Illinois Sheriff’s Association awards Telecommunicator of the Year
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — The Illinois Sheriff's Association awarded Champaign County Sheriff Telecommunicator Lance Buyno as Telecommunicator of the Year for his “extraordinary patience and outstanding communication skills”. On Mar. 27, 2020, at 4:15 am...
Should 911 dispatchers be considered first responders? (VA)
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Answering calls in a time of crisis can be an emotional toll for 911 dispatchers. But without the classification as first responders, they do not have the same access to benefits. Local dispatch centers are pushing Virginia legislators to step in...
CRESA earns reaccreditation (WA)
Emergency dispatch center Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency announced Tuesday it earned reaccreditation for the eighth time. CRESA achieved the status of Medical Accredited Center of Excellence, awarded by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. Only...
Technology to enhance 911 dispatchers’ ability to receive videos, images and texts (NE)
KEARNEY — The technology that carried the first 911 calls to dispatchers barely could help victims to help themselves. However, with advances in technology, tomorrow’s 911 calls will have all of the characteristics of how people communicate today. That means dialing...
Technical challenges delay Southwick-Westfield regional dispatch (MA)
SOUTHWICK — Technical issues are causing a delay to the initial time frame for Southwick emergency calls to transition to a regional emergency dispatch center in Westfield. The completion date has now been pushed out by about six months. “There are a lot of technical...
Public Safety Advocate: Survey, Happy Anniversary FirstNet
We will be in Washington, DC next week to participate in a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the bill that created FirstNet. Thus there will not be an Advocate next week but I will recap the anniversary activities the following week. The survey we...
Next Generation 9-1-1 continues to be deployed across Virginia
(© josephsjacobs – stock.adobe.com) The Virginia Department of Emergency Management continues to work on the deployment of the Next Generation 9-1-1 system across the Commonwealth. Fairfax County, in 2020, was the first public safety answering point (PSAP) to cutover...
FEMA Awards AT&T Four Contracts to Modernize the Agency’s Communications Capabilities
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded AT&T four separate contracts for modernized communications capabilities to help FEMA improve its ability to deliver its mission to help people before, during, and after...
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...
Downtown Oklahoma City power outage impacts 911 center early Tuesday morning
A power outage downtown impacted some Oklahoma City government buildings, including the interruption of receiving emergency calls at the 911 Communications Center. The center could not receive calls between approximately 5 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., according to a news...
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.
REGISTER
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