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City residents are asked to make the right call (OH)

STEUBENVILLE — With the privately owned Ambulance Service transitioning to new ownership, Steubenville Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi said Monday it’s a good time to remind residents that in the event of an emergency, they should be dialing 911 for help. Capaldi said all...

North Shore Residents Can Now Text 911 In Emergencies (WI)

BAYSIDE, WI — Residents of the North Shore will now be able to text 911 in emergencies if a call is impossible. People who are deaf or hard of hearing, those who are unable to speak due to a medical emergency, or people who are in a situation where it would be unsafe...

Manchester Police Department promotes two (VT)

MANCHESTER — The Manchester Police Department has announced two promotions within the department. Chief Patrick Owens said Jesse Bravata has been promoted to sergeant and dispatcher Tom Best has been named the director of communications for the department replacing...

Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety amendment explained (MN)

The ballot amendment would shift power away from the Minneapolis Police Department and instead create a department of public safety — here’s what that means. For over a year, activists have been advocating to defund the police and shift power to other public safety...

UPCOMING WEBINARREGISTER>

FirstNet Independence: A governance case study

Thursday, February 19, 2026
1:30 PM PT | 2:30 PM MT | 3:30 PM CT | 4:30 PM ET

As we are near the time Congress must reauthorize FirstNet, there needs to be a discussion on the review of FirstNet Governance. Join former FirstNet Board Chairs Sue Swenson, Chief Richard Carrizzo, and former Vice-Chair Chief Jeff Johnson, as they discuss the value of an independent FirstNet Authority, program oversight, and the need to protect and advance the nation’s public safety network.

The creation of the FirstNet Authority marked a deliberate and historic policy decision by Congress to establish an independent, nationwide public-safety broadband authority insulated from traditional departmental control. Born out of the lessons of 9/11 and codified in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, FirstNet was designed to operate with a singular mission: to ensure reliable, interoperable communications for the nation’s first responders. The discussion will examine the governance structure, rationale for its statutory independence, and oversight model.

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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