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Keep Your 911 Commitment
In your day-to-day work life, have you ever stopped to wonder why you continue to come in to work every day? Why the PSAP life? More specifically, why you are an emergency services telecommunicator? Bills, boredom, family to support, or just getting out of the house?...
Mayfield telecommunicator honored with Kentucky State Police civilian award
A telecommunicator from Mayfield is among 14 Kentucky State Police employees who were honored by the agency during its annual civilian awards ceremony Thursday in Frankfort. KSP held the award ceremony to recognize civilian employees for their work in 2020. “All of...
Middle Township will move 911 dispatch services to Cape May County (NJ)
Cape May Court House, N.J. – Middle Township will partner with Cape May County for emergency dispatch services as part of a plan to realize savings and ensure sufficient staffing. Middle authorized a shared services agreement with the county at its Oct. 18 Township...
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes Brokers Solution To Temporarily Solve Trenton’s Ongoing Radio System Crisis (NJ)
October 21, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes today conducted a private meeting with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora and Trenton City Council President Kathy McBride to broker a solution that will temporarily solve a crisis involving the city’s emergency radio system for first responders.
At Mercer County’s Dempster Fire Academy, where the county’s 911 Central Communications Center is located, the mayor and council president agreed to Mr. Hughes’ offer to lend to Trenton 133 radios that the county has in its backup supply. By offering Trenton the use of the radios for up to six months, the mayor and council will have ample time to work through the city’s radio system problem and contract issues, Mr. Hughes said.
The county’s portable radios are compatible with the dispatch system, and the county already handles the emergency medical technician (EMT) dispatch for Trenton.
“This proposal is a win for everyone,” Mr. Hughes said, noting that Mayor and Council will have time to sensibly work together to conduct an open public bid for radios, award the bid and have new, state-of-the-art radios operational by the end of the year, and Mercer County will have helped to ensure that 911 dispatchers have immediate access to Trenton public safety personnel on compatible equipment and are able to keep the citizens safe.
Statement From Mayor Gusciora on His Thursday Meeting With Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes and City Council President Kathy McBride on the City’s Emergency Communications System
On Thursday, I met with Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes and City Council President Kathy McBride to discuss the public-safety radio system for the City of Trenton.
Mr. Hughes agreed to temporarily loan our city approximately 130 handheld radios programmed to the county’s radio system. While Mercer County’s radio loan is not optimum, it helps carry the city over until a new system is in place. Mercer County’s assistance gives my administration time to work with Council President McBride to work in common cause on an agreement to replace the city’s aging radio system with equipment compatible with Mercer County’s emergency radio platform. This arrangement is the foundation of my permanent proposed solution.
I am very grateful to Council President McBride, who phoned me on Wednesday afternoon. She pledged for us to work together on this critical public safety issue for our residents and businesses.
Previously, a Resolution authorizing $4 million from the city’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund to pay for a new radio and 911 systems did not make the docket. Council tabled a Resolution to pay the city’s current police and fire radio-system vendor, MPS Communications, for overdue invoices, an issue headed for litigation. The company will pull the plug on the city’s radio system on October 31, endangering residents and public safety personnel.
Nonetheless, I am very grateful to Mercer County Executive Hughes for meeting with us, his leadership, and his expeditious assistance. And, I wish to thank City Council President McBride for her goodwill and willingness to work together on a permanent solution.
Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, File Photo
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora File Photo
Trenton City Council President Kathy McBride
COVID relief funds will purchase new equipment for Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (MI)
JACKSON COUNTY, MI – New equipment to help the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office increase transparency and improve operations is being funded by federal COVID-19 relief funds. A lease-to-own program through Axon approved by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners on...
Tucson moves towards city employee COVID-19 vaccination requirement, Ducey pushes back (AZ)
TUCSON — The City of Tucson is moving forward with its threat to fire city employees who do not get vaccinated for COVID-19, setting a December deadline. Those same workers face November suspensions if they can’t prove they are vaccinated or that they received an...
Pullman PD Joins Neighbors Public Safety Service (WA)
PULLMAN – The Pullman Police Department has partnered with Neighbors Public Safety Service to leverage the Neighbors app by Ring. This free service allows citizens the opportunity to stay informed with real-time information related to local public safety incidents....
DHR Health Level 1 Trauma Center Utilizes FirstNet® Network for Priority Emergency Response (TX)
Photo by Roberto Hugo Gonzalez Edinburg, TX – DHR Health is now a FirstNet® subscriber, bringing their Level 1 Trauma Center to the forefront of public safety communications. FirstNet is the only, nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to...
Fort hires consultant to communicate possible public safety referendum (WI)
The City of Fort Atkinson has accepted a proposal from Mueller Communications, Milwaukee, to serve as the communications consultant for a possible public safety referendum next April. The proposal, which excludes an optional community survey, carries a total price tag...
NYC Tried To Remove NYPD From 911 Mental Health Emergencies—But It’s Had Little Success
After launching in parts of Harlem this summer, New York City is planning to expand a pilot program that enables 911 to dispatch teams that are led by social workers to mental health calls instead of the NYPD. The B-HEARD program will cover all of Harlem by early...
CISA Video Addresses P25 Funding Issues and the Future of the P25 Standard
For agencies considering the transition to P25, the video offers insights and advice from public safety officials with firsthand experience. The Project 25 (P25) standard for public safety land mobile radio (LMR) enables responders from different disciplines and...
Central SD Communications Center at Pierre getting new equipment thanks to one-time dollars from the state (SD)
The Central South Dakota Communications Center in Pierre is receiving new equipment thanks to some one-time funding from the State of South Dakota. The 911 Coordination Board, administered by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, has awarded the public safety...
Former 911 dispatch employees file lawsuit against Lehigh County and 7 other defendants, allege outright incompetence, potentially fatal consequences (PA)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Serious allegations contained in a new federal lawsuit paint Lehigh County's 911 Center as a place where discrimination, negligence, and outright incompetence run rampant. One especially startling claim in the lawsuit is that one dispatcher's...
Henry County is hiring, and the need is dire (VA)
Henry County held a job fair at the Jack Dalton Park at the back of the Henry County Administration building during the day on Tuesday, and by the end of the 4-hour session, there was some optimism among government officials looking to fill a number of positions. “I...
Newly-Retired Jenks 911 Dispatcher Honored For 46 Years Of Service (OK)
JENKS, Oklahoma - The City of Jenks is honoring a newly-retired city employee for 46 years of service. “Therefore I, Cory Box, Mayor of Jenks do hereby proclaim October 16th in the City of Jenks as ‘James Bruce Parker’ day,” Box said. News On 6 first shared about...
$300 million lawsuit filed over invalid fees in Greenville County (SC)
A Greer resident is suing Greenville County Council for $300 million on behalf of all county property owners after the state Supreme Court ruled that road fees the county had imposed were invalid. The lawsuit, filed By Jerry A. Bruce on Wednesday, says Greenville...
New Bayview Station Police Captain Grapples with Staff Shortages (CA)
David Maron was named captain of the Bayview Station last February, after more than 25 years with the San Francisco Police Department. His appointment was made in the wake of a year of civic unrest demanding changes to policing and public safety nationwide. Maron was...
FirstNet®, Built with AT&T Brings Health & Wellness Training to First Responders
SCITUATE, Mass., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstNet, Built with AT&T and O2X Human Performance are collaborating to support the health, wellness and human performance of first responders. This program brings health, wellness and resilience training workshops...
Sepura Launch SmartView, Combining Indoor and Outdoor Location Reporting
The application will provide a significant operational advantage to organisations operating complex sites such as airports, utilities plants and sports stadiums, as well as those working in public safety. Sepura have added to their portfolio of powerful AppSPACE...
Would increasing salaries for Durham 911 operators help retain more employees as the shortage continues? (NC)
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The city of Durham has one of the highest 911 operator vacancy rates in the Triangle, almost 40 percent of their operator positions are unfilled. Durham city officials told CBS 17 they are working to fill these vacancies, but in the last...
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.
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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 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.
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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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