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Fort Worth Police Audit Faults Response Times, 911 Issues (TX)
The Fort Worth police department did not meet its own response-time goals in nearly half of high-priority emergency calls and nearly one in four 911 callers reached a recording and hung up before an operator picked up, according to a city audit obtained by NBC 5. The...
‘Level zero’: ABC15 investigates ambulance response times (AZ)
PRESCOTT, AZ — On June 30, dispatchers inside the Prescott Regional Dispatch Center repeated the same thing again and again. “(Unit 1201) is en route with a 41-minute ETA, and we’re in ‘level zero’ again.” “And that brings us back down to to ‘level zero.’” “I have no...
AT&T, Verizon reject U.S. request to delay 5G wireless plans
WASHINGTON — Verizon and AT&T have rejected a request by the U.S. government to delay the rollout of next-generation wireless technology. A joint letter Sunday from the telecommunications giants to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Steve Dickson,...
Page County ECC experiencing issues, impact on 911 calls (VA)
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Page County Emergency Communications Center has announced that CenturyLink/Lumen is experiencing issues that are affecting 911 lines in the county. If you call 911, you may be re-routed to one of the Page County ECC administrative lines....
Staff shortages force N.C. EMS agency to ask FEMA for ‘ambulance strike teams’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg EMS has requested “ambulance strike teams” as it faces a more transmissible COVID-19 variant, an ongoing staffing shortage and an increase in service calls. As of Monday, 33 Medic employees are in isolation due to COVID-19, the agency’s...
Omega to Echo: Kenosha Fire Department assigns levels to EMS calls (WI)
Omega. Alpha. Bravo. Charlie. Delta. Echo. Kenosha Fire Department is now utilizing these codes to classify medical service calls as a safety initiative as emergency units are dispatched. Division Chief of EMS Nicholas Eschmann said whenever someone calls 911 for...
New tool puts 911 on faster tracking (KS)
If you're thinking about pulling a “Crank Yanker” trick on Lyon County 911 operators, think again. The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center announced a new tool Sunday to track incoming calls. A Facebook statement said it can “possibly see your 911 call before...
Marion County 911 experiences hourlong outage during New Year’s call frenzy (IN)
Marion County's 911 center experienced an hourlong outage after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Day, while hundreds of calls poured in reporting celebratory gunshots. "I have never seen anything even close to what happened last night," said Michael Hubbs,...
Lincoln County Emergency Services Says Goodbye to One of Their Own (ME)
Lincoln County Communications Center Supervisor Mark Creamer always put family first. And his community was his family. That’s the consensus of the people who knew him and of the people who worked with him. Creamer was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in June of 2021....
Franklin Co. Emergency Communications using Phone App for precise location of emergencies (KS)
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - “What3Words” uses a GPS tracking system that breaks down the world into 10 feet by 10 feet virtual squares. What3Words is an app and website developed in the UK that’s trying to make it easier to find people in emergencies, in crowds, or in...
Language service to help Smyth deputies, dispatch (VA)
A language barrier can be difficult in any circumstances, but when first-responders and those they’re trying to help can’t understand one another, the hurdle can be life-threatening. Last week, the Smyth County Board of Supervisors took action to ease communication...
FirstNet innovates disaster recovery for emergency management
By Bruce Fitzgerald, Senior Public Safety Advisor, First Responder Network Authority FirstNet helps with the four phases of emergency management – preparedness(link is external), response(link is external), recovery, and mitigation. I’d like to dive deeper...
Durham 911 call taker says training struggles, worker burnout have led to ongoing operator shortage (NC)
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – Almost half of the 911 operator positions in Durham are vacant, according to data on the city of Durham’s website. There are currently 28 vacancies out of 60 call taker positions, according to the website. One year ago when CBS 17 first started...
Appeals Court Denies Petitions for Review of Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz
An appeals court rejected petitions for review from multiple organizations asking that the FCC’s rules allowing unlicensed use in the 6 GHz band be remanded back to the FCC for reconsideration. In April 2020, the FCC adopted rules allowing for unlicensed use of the 6...
Answering the call: O.C. Emergency communications will move to state-of-the-art dispatch center (VA)
While law enforcement officers and fire & EMS crews are out on the front lines responding to emergencies, the unsung heroes of the 911 dispatch team are operating behind closed doors, cooped up in a small room in the basement of the Gordon building on West Main...
Public safety officials respond to concerns about emergency response times (GA)
Habersham citizens have shared their frustrations and concerns with slow response times from the county’s emergency services online, and citizens brought those concerns forward at Tuesday night’s public safety town hall meeting. At Habersham County Commissioner Bruce...
No more ‘Band-Aids’ and ‘bubblegum.’ Norwich dispatch radios to see much-needed upgrades. (CT)
With $3.4 million in federal funding provided through the American Rescue Plan, Norwich City Council gave the green light for a series of substantial upgrades to the city’s antiquated emergency dispatch system. “We have known for a decade, maybe longer, that our...
Jefferson City Police Department proposes hiring incentives to combat staffing shortage (MO)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Jefferson City's Public Safety Committee unanimously voted Thursday morning to move forward with hiring incentives for police officers and communications operators. The proposal will now go to the city council for approval. If approved, the...
Sumner County approves bonus pay for first responders (OR)
The Sumner County Commission approved the expenditure of almost $2.9 million from American Rescue Plan funds for COVID-19 hazard pay for first responders in the county. At its Dec. 13 meeting, commissioners allocated $2,892,350 for bonus pay for the county EMS,...
Welcome two heroes: how two women saved their lives on the 911 phone (OH)
A 21-year-old Chaglin Valley dispatcher said on a phone call that helped the unconscious woman get her pulse back, giving all the glory to the stranger. Chaglin Falls, Ohio — A Chagrin Valley Dispatcher After helping to save a woman’s life on the phone, she is greeted...
SURVEY
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.
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Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
PSBTA UPDATES
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.
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GRANTS
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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