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Dispatching Service Backs Out Of Taking Space In Rosemont’s New Public Safety Building (IL)
Artist’s rendering of view looking northeast at new Rosemont Public Safety headquarters. The scheduled Monday, Aug. 30 groundbreaking ceremony for Rosemont’s new 101,000 sq. ft. public safety headquarters has been canceled because one of the key tenants of the...
City Manager: ‘Emergency dispatch backup plan worked, but it’s not optimal’ (KS)
Emergency management employees for the city of Hays and Ellis County are reviewing the possibility of installing a permanent 911 emergency dispatch backup system in the basement of the county's fire/EMS building. Accidental flooding from a fire sprinker head Aug. 2...
Mutualink launches LNK360 interoperability platform – Urgent Communications
Mutualink recently announced the launch of LNK360, a revamp of its interoperability software platform that includes new features and an architecture that is designed to improve both resiliency and flexibility, according to Mutualink Chairman and CEO Mark Hatten....
911 board approves salary increase in budget (AL)
The Chilton County E-911 Board approved the budget for the 2022 fiscal year during a Aug. 26 voting session. 911 Director Terra Scott included salary increases “for employees who have passed their evaluations.” She said the employees in the department have been...
Multi-purpose-built: new public safety building nears completion (VA)
Orange County officials have a solid track record of repurposing old buildings for county office space. The county’s primary administration office—the Gordon Building on Main Street—once was the Leggett department store. The nearby building services office was the...
Sheriff plans new 9-1-1 center for $9.2M at Clarksville station (NY)
NEW SCOTLAND — A year ago, citing coronavirus concerns and major savings to taxpayers, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple requested and received permission to move the county’s Emergency 9-1-1 Communications Center from its planned location at the Shaker Place Nursing...
Heroic act at dispatch center (OH)
HOWLAND — When there is an emergency, usually 911 is called, but what happens when 911 needs to call 911? Thanks to the heroic effort of Trumbull County dispatcher Katelyn Bower, a choking Shana Murphy didn’t need to find out that answer Thursday night. “I knew I was...
‘Winnebago 151 signing’: Local 911 Dispatcher hangs up the phone after 43 years of service (WI)
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – After 43 years of service, a local Winnebago County 911 Dispatcher picked up the phone and asked ‘9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” for the very last time. For the last four decades Communications Center 911 Dispatcher, Dennis Kallin has...
Authorities disable electronic signal-jamming device in Morgan Hill (CA)
MORGAN HILL, Calif. - Authorities have located and disabled an electronic signal-jamming device in Morgan Hill. The Santa Clara County Emergency Communications Department on Thursday reported that the signal was "disrupting, impeding, and interfering with public...
Pettis County Joint Communications now operational (MO)
The Pettis County Commission announced that as of Wednesday, Pettis County Joint Communications (PCJC) is now the primary operational emergency Public Safety Answering Point for Pettis County, consolidating the efforts between the Sedalia Police Department and Pettis...
Lewiston, Auburn police move to encrypted radio system, silencing civilian scanners (ME)
Yes, it’s true. Police scanners no longer pick up transmissions from some local police departments. Lewiston and Auburn police departments have gone to a new encrypted radio system that cannot be picked up by the regular police scanners owned by many civilians. ...
Amid 911 delays, St. Louis mayor launches plan to combine fire, police dispatch centers (MO)
ST. LOUIS — In response to months of complaints about St. Louis 911 callers being left on hold, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones announced plans Thursday to combine the city police and fire emergency call centers to eliminate a system that, Jones says, has created a 911...
Madison launches program to respond to mental health 911 calls (WI)
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A new program designed to provide alternative emergency response for mental health 911 calls will launch next week. The Madison Fire Department’s Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) team will begin responding to 911 calls...
Commissioners receive emergency operations center proposals (WA)
Clallam County has received a pair of offers from Seattle-area architects to design a joint Emergency Operations Center and 9-1-1 dispatch center in west Port Angeles. The three commissioners on Aug. 24 opened non-priced proposals from OAC Services, Inc. of Seattle...
Winnebago County 911 dispatcher hangs it up after 43 years on the job (WI)
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - A legend is hanging it up in Winnebago County. For more than 40 years, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, and other emergency responders heard his voice on their radios. Now, Winnebago County’s longest serving 911 dispatcher is...
Meeting E911 Requirements in the Age of Hybrid Work
Those responsible for managing their organization’s E911 strategy face the following new challenges: The shift to remote and hybrid work means that employees are largely no longer working from a fixed location. The increase in the adoption of softphones changes the...
Mayor Jones Tours 9-1-1 Facility, Meets with Dispatchers, and Outlines Plans to Improve Reliability and Response (MO)
ST. LOUIS - Today, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones toured the 9-1-1 dispatch center in Downtown St. Louis to meet with 9-1-1 dispatchers and give an update to press on the administration’s efforts to streamline and improve the city’s current system. Mayor Jones met with...
Southborough to consider regional public safety dispatch services (MA)
Above: The Public Safety Building completed in 2019 combines a dispatch center for Southborough Police and Fire. Now, the Town is researching if working with other MetroWest towns on a regional dispatch center outside of the building makes fiscal sense. (image cropped...
911 Operators Did Not Dispatch Police to Gas Station Where Employee Feared Explosion From Protesters Throwing Fireworks (OR)
Portland’s Bureau of Emergency Communications, which fields 911 calls for the city, did not dispatch police when a Chevron gas station employee called to report a potential explosion hazard as dueling protesters threw fireworks near the gas pumps during a street...
Allen Police Department’s 911 dispatch center given prestigious certification (TX)
In its Tuesday meeting, the Allen City Council recognized an emergency dispatcher who officials credit for helping the city’s 911 dispatch center reach a new milestone. In June, the Allen Police Department became one of 92 agencies in the world to be awarded 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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