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911 Tulsa dispatcher Mary Byers dies in Admiral and Utica hit-and-run accident (OK)
Mary Byers Death -Obituary : Long-time Tulsa police dispatcher, Mary Byers has passed away following injuries incurred in a two-vehicle accident that happened on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 around 9:15 p.m. at the intersection of Admiral and Utica. According to...
911 staffers work to ensure callers get the right help (OK)
Dispatchers and call-takers for 911 are on the front lines for people facing dire emergencies, and they are trained to not only remain calm, but to keep the caller calm as well. Cherokee County's 911 system operations center houses three agencies: Northeastern Health...
County officials moving forward with communications upgrades (MA)
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis County Commissioners are awaiting more details on plans to upgrade the county’s public safety radio system. The commissioners hope to hear a presentation from Communications Design Consulting Group of Barrington, New Hampshire, after...
Supply chain risk matters when it comes to cybersecurity for next-gen 911
The 911 system is important to all Americans, and a bill before the Senate on next generation 911 infrastructure, or NG911, will provide states and territories the resources to close many 911 capability gaps — but it is missing critical provisions regarding the cyber...
Midland faces dispatcher shortage (TX)
Midland, TEXAS (ABC BIG 2/FOX 24) – As the City of Midland grows, there’s a need to add 911 dispatchers. ” We get major accidents because of all the traffic, crime has picked up a little bit, so we just need staffing to be able to accommodate the city and their...
County to spend more than $550K on comms (IA)
Emergency communication in Jackson County soon may improve with the purchase of new equipment for law enforcement and dispatch. The Jackson County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to spend an estimated $550,000 to buy new dispatch consoles at a recent meeting....
Short-staffed 911 call centers lead to longer waits in emergencies (CA)
SACRAMENTO, CA- – "There's somebody trying to break into my house, it looks like one person, please send someone," said a frantic Sacramento County resident during a recent 911 call. Every year, more than 850,000 calls are made to the Sacramento County Sheriff's...
E-911 Board approves hire of new dispatcher (TN)
The Cocke County Emergency Communications (E-911) Board of Directors held their quarterly meeting on Tuesday. The board approved the hiring of another 911 dispatcher and the creation of a budget amendment to account for the additional wages. The meeting’s old business...
U.S. Air Force selects FirstNet built with AT&T for communications across 15 bases
The U.S. Air Force selected FirstNet, built with AT&T (NYSE:T) to deliver communications to its public safety personnel and, for first responders, preemption, on 15 bases across the U.S.The agreement struck between the Air Force Civil Engineer Center...
9-1-1 Operators to Graduate from Oregon Public Safety Academy
The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training recently announced the graduation of its 126th Basic Telecommunications Class. The three-week course includes emergency call handling techniques, stress management, civil liability, ethics, criminal law,...
‘It’s controlled chaos’: JFRD looking for 911 dispatchers, asking for veterans to fill the role
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There is a critical need for 911 dispatchers in the City of Jacksonville as call volumes continue to increase. Their role is crucial to public safety in our community. “They are really on the front line,” JFRD Chief Keith Powers said. “As we like...
Emergency dispatch centers facing labor shortage (NC)
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Labor shortages are impacting the nation, and emergency dispatch centers are not immune. The National Emergency Number Association reports that nationally, emergency dispatch centers are seeing 15-20% employee turnover. Guilford Metro 911 is...
“Fed up” with 911 dispatchers at the SQ (Canada)
The missive accuses the SQ of putting its head in the sand over the problems that would increasingly plague its call management centers (CGA), where provincial emergency dispatchers work. Too many distributors starting out. Too many calls, in front of certain chairs...
New Orleans 911 callers getting recorded message asking them to hold (LA)
NEW ORLEANS — Local musician David Symons was walking home from a gig at about midnight Saturday when he tried to alert police to a possible crime in progress near Elysian Fields and Claiborne Avenue. “I saw someone apparently breaking into a truck, so I called...
Uber says 911 centers can now track location if you call through app in case of emergency
You've been able to call 911 through Uber for years, but now the company says the majority of Chicago area 911 centers are now able to track your location. 911 dispatchers will always ask for your address when you call, but you may not know the answer to that or other...
Clarke County to recruit cyber consultant to examine computer systems (VA)
BERRYVILLE — A cybersecurity expert will be hired to help Clarke County determine how to better protect its computer systems from hacking. Clarke County is receiving almost $2.84 million from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, established under the...
Concerned Public Safety Not Being Funded in Jamestown’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Monies (NY)
One city resident is concerned that public safety is getting shorted in Jamestown’s proposed plan for spending over $28 million dollars in American Rescue Plan monies. Doug Champ spoke before the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and at last night’s work session,...
Arizona police chief wants mental health experts working 911 dispatch center
TUCSON — Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus says a highly unusual but dangerous kidnapping of two crisis-response social workers shows changes are needed in the way crisis and 911 calls are handled. Having a program in place that allows information to be shared between...
Upgrades coming to Montgomery Co. 911 dispatch center with $374K state grant (NY)
FONDA — Montgomery County has received a $374,781 state grant that will be used to update systems and equipment used by the 911 dispatch center. Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery Smith on Monday said the county applies annually for the State Interoperable...
City of Tucson faces staffing shortages, new plan could help (AZ
The city of Tucson is facing significant staffing vacancies in departments that provide crucial services ranging from park maintenance to 911 assistance. The issues aren’t new, or exclusive to Tucson, but they are severe in some of the city’s departments: More than a...
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.
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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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