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EC Emergency Services receives $1.2 million Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant (NY)
Fri, Oct 29th 2021 10:50 am NYS grant aids in enhancing emergency response, improving capability, infrastructure development New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services agency recently announced it awarded Erie County a grant for $1.2 million under the NYS...
Dispatcher Wayne Breitbarth recognized with ‘Making a Difference’ Award (MN)
WASECA, Minn. (KEYC) - Wayne Breitbarth, a dispatcher for the Waseca County Emergency Communications Center, was recognized for his dedication to duty. Breitbarth was awarded the 2021 “Making a Difference” Award Wednesday evening at Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria. The...
Kentucky communities struggling with EMS staffing (KY)
Concerns about long waits for an ambulance in some Eastern Kentucky counties hit home for Jim Dockery’s family after he started having chest pains one evening in August. His longtime companion, Lisa Gibson Koch, called 9-1-1 and her son, Daniel Koch, rushed to...
AMR Evansville emergency dispatcher dies from COVID (IN)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The American Medical Response of Evansville community lost a member on Friday. According to a social media post, Charles Janis passed away after a hard-fought battle with COVID Charles was the husband of Brittany Janis, an EMT also with AMR...
The City of Albany Face 911 Dispatch Shortages (NY)
Steve Smith, Public Information Officer for The Albany Police Department sent us a statement. " All 911 calls continue to be answered thanks to our partnership with the New York State Police and Albany County Sheriff. We are currently training seven new dispatchers...
Mother speaks out after urgent calls to 911 about child’s medical emergency go unanswered (NY)
(NEW YORK) — Some 911 call centers across the country say they are experiencing staffing shortages. Some centers are struggling with as much as 30% to 50% vacancies, according to reports from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. “We have actually been...
BLOCKING THE CELL BLOCK: 911 CALLS OUT OF PARCHMAN TO COUNTY DISPATCH PUT CAR WARRANTY SPAMMERS TO SHAME (MS)
Industrious inmates are inundating the county’s emergency phone center with non-emergency calls in an attempt to reach outside contacts, and Sheriff James Haywood wants it to stop. “It's causing our system to get overloaded. They're calling...
Hanceville passes resolution elevating 911 workers to ‘first responders’ (AL)
Oct. 30—HANCEVILLE — Although it doesn't come with more pay or better benefits, the Hanceville City Council showed its support and respect for the work of its 911 operators by adopting a resolution that recognizes them as "first responders." The resolution is part of...
Seattle to Offer Hiring Bonuses of Up to $25K to Attract More Police Officers, 911 Dispatchers (WA)
Sarah Grace Taylor / The Seattle Times As hundreds of unvaccinated city employees are placed on leave or facing termination, the city of Seattle will start offering hiring bonuses to Seattle Police Department and 911 dispatch hires to address "critical ongoing...
Mississippi 911 dispatcher doesn’t let disability define him (MS)
No matter the size of a man, he’ll always start off with big dreams for the life ahead of him. As he should. As we all should. Alan “Trey” Henderson was just such a boy — he knew exactly what he wanted to do since he was 12 years old. The thought of being an emergency...
Shortage of 911 operators impacts Midlands mother (SC)
ABC NEWS– Right now, there’s a critical shortage of 911 operators all across the nation. With roughly 240 million 911 calls coming in every year, some cities are missing up to half their usual dispatchers. This means some emergency calls are going unanswered,...
9-1-1 operators: The first of the first responders (WA)
SPOKANE, Wash - 9-1-1 call centers, where the first of the first responders answer emergency calls. Every day they talk to people on their worst days. But the chance to help save a life is what keeps many first responders, including 9-1-1 operators going. Typically,...
Staffing shortages at 911 call centers in Denver leads to longer wait times (CO)
The 911 communication centers in the Denver metro responsible for taking emergency calls and dispatching police, firefighters and paramedics are struggling to recruit and retain workers amid a tight labor market that has made hiring difficult in many industries,...
Shutdown for Trenton Emergency Communications System Postponed Until December 31 (NJ)
Today’s Court Ruling Gives Gusciora Administration, City Council More Time to Evaluate Alternative Solutions October 29, 2021 TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–The City of Trenton and its radio service provider, MPS Communications, have consented to an injunction halting shutoff...
County breaks ground on new call center (HI)
A new emergency call center being built in Hilo will improve communications between the county’s police and fire departments. The center, which began construction Wednesday, eventually will house both fire and police dispatch systems and a fire administration support...
Texas Mother Meets MedStar 911 Dispatcher Who Helped Save Her Baby
Eight weeks after a North Texas mother performed CPR on her little boy with the help of a MedStar 911 sender, she met the one she gives the credit for saving her child’s life. Erin Fennell is the mother of now 11-week-old Parker. The incident happened in early...
Some dispatch centers report increasing difficulty in filling openings (IN)
Earlier this week, we told you about how some pharmacies are having tougher time filling job openings. Now some dispatch centers in the Tri-State and other parts of the country are reporting shortages recently. Owensboro-Daviess County dispatchers are training on a...
Help is here for first responders suffering from mental health issues and stress (NC)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This article involves commercial content. The products and services featured appear as paid advertising. National First Responders Day is Oct. 28th - this day honors the heroic women and men who run toward danger every day to help their fellow...
National First Responders Day: Dispatchers detail day-to-day responsibilities, self-care (CA)
Dispatch supervisor Hillary Luff answered two urgent phone calls simultaneously. One requested medical assistance for an unconscious person and the other detailed an individual trapped in a house fire. Which call must she respond to first? Who should be deployed? What...
First Responder Day: Answering the call: Life as a 911 dispatcher (ID)
TWIN FALLS — For 33 years, Clint Sant has answered the call. As an emergency telecommunications specialist, commonly known as a 911 dispatcher, he helps send the appropriate responders to emergencies. Sant’s career as a first responder began with Lincoln County...
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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