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Haverhill’s civilian dispatchers ink first contract | Massachusetts
HAVERHILL — The city has achieved its goal of moving police officers out of dispatch and back onto the streets and has recently inked its first contract with the newly formed civilian Dispatchers Union Group. Mayor James Fiorentini said this is the latest milestone in...
Rhode Island fire departments sharing $5.5M in FEMA grants
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Nineteen Rhode Island fire departments are getting a total of $5.5 million in federal grants that can be used to buy new equipment and upgrade training to enhance public safety, the state's congressional delegation said. “These grants will help...
The Quell Foundation Foundation to Host 9/11 Ride of Hope
The Quell Foundation will host the 9/11 Ride of Hope as a peleton of 20 cyclists will travel from New York City, N.Y. to Arlington, V.A., during the week leading up to the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attack.
The 5-day event will kick off from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Tuesday, September 7, and conclude in Arlington on Saturday. The group will include active, retired, and surviving family members of first responders, many of whom responded to the horrific events of September 11, 2001.
Sheriff’s Deputies, Communications Dispatchers, Police Officers Deployed to Assist with Caldor Fire
Posted on September 2, 2021 | 6:25 p.m. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has sent 21 deputies and two communications dispatchers to El Dorado County to assist in the fight against the Caldor Fire. In addition, the Santa Barbara Police Department sent four...
“FirstNet Helps Save Lives”
How the Nation’s Most Important Wireless Network was Born
“First responders from other states headed to New York and Washington, D.C. While their assistance was welcomed, their presence further complicated the communications conundrum.”
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Chief Chuck Dowd pulled up to the security gate at the New York City 9-1-1 Center where he was commanding officer of the New York Police Department’s communications division. An officer told him that a small plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center buildings. While the news concerned him, he had no idea what he was about to walk into.
“I went into the 9-1-1 Center and the place was a madhouse,” Dowd said. “As you can imagine, the calls were coming in from everywhere and they were horrific. Our folks were talking to people in the buildings who they knew were not going to get out alive. It was a terrible time.”
Manchester Police Hiring Dispatchers (NJ)
MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township Police Department is hiring public safety telecommunicators —often referred to as dispatchers. Both full-time and per-diem positions are available, and experience is preferred. Per-diem telecommunicators earn $20 to $35 per...
Genesee County 911 director resigns amid family dispute, misdemeanor charge (MI)
FENTON TWP.—Genesee County 911 director Spring Tremaine is stepping down from her post following a family dispute that led to a misdemeanor charge against her. Tremaine, who was been the 911 director since 2017, sent her letter of resignation to the Genesee County 911...
New Orleans 911 dispatcher wanted for hanging up on calls for help (LA)
NEW ORLEANS — Police are looking for a New Orleans 911 operator that has been accused of hanging up on people calling for help, an NOPD spokesperson said Thursday. Officers are looking for Precious Stephens, a 25-year-old woman who faces charges of malfeasance in...
Column: Integrated electricity systems must be more resilient
LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Prolonged blackouts in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida are a reminder the power grid needs to become more resilient as well as reliable if even more services such as electric vehicles are going to depend on it in future. The electricity...
Calls for aid to NYC residents poured into Suffolk 911 staff during storm (NY)
Suffolk residents placed numerous calls to the county's 911 call system Wednesday night as they sought help for relatives in New York City who could not reach 911 while a storm deluged the region, county officials said Thursday. Callers reported relatives trapped in...
Wrangell and Petersburg get text-to-911 service (AK)
Two Southeast Alaska communities will now have text-to-911 capability in their emergency communications systems. Wrangell and Petersburg will now have the ability to text emergency services in cases in which calling isn’t an option. “So basically it’s been working out...
Advanced Aircraft Company Named First Place Winner in the NIST First Responder UAS Endurance Challenge
Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), a developer of long-endurance hybrid-electric unmanned aircraft systems designed for a wide range of commercial, defense and public safety applications, has been named one of seven finalists in the NIST First Responder UAS Endurance...
Chicago Starts Sending Mental Health Professionals to Some 911 Calls for Help (IL)
Teams of mental health professionals, paramedics and crisis-intervention trained officers will use white vans to help those suffering from mental illness in two parts of Chicago, officials said. (Credit: Chicago Department of Public Health) Chicagoans who call 911 in...
COVID claims life of Marion County emergency dispatcher (TN)
The Marion County Sheriff Department extended their "deepest condolences" to the family of long-time employee Thomas Kelly, who died Tuesday night from COVID-19 complications. Thomas was employed by the Sheriff's Department as an emergency dispatch operator since May...
Guthrie tapped to head county ECD (TN)
Michael Guthrie has been named Director of the Emergency Communication District (ECD). In this position he will be responsible for mapping all the addresses for Sumner County. He will be responsible for assigning an address when someone wants to build on a parcel of...
Two South Dakota tribes to receive state 9-1-1 funding
PIERRE, S.D. – Two South Dakota Native American tribes will receive state funding for their 9-1-1 telecommunications centers. “This one-time funding is available to 9-1-1 centers statewide for equipment upgrades and other infrastructure needs,” said Craig Price,...
Investigation: 911 calls handled properly in Kent Ramada Inn killing of Auburn woman (WA)
Dispatchers handled two 911 calls “appropriately per policies” when it took Kent police 52 minutes to respond to a June 14 domestic violence case at a local motel when a man reportedly beat his girlfriend to death, according to an internal investigation by Valley...
Public Safety awaits new space – University of North Georgia
Purchasing and transforming an old casual restaurant building into the University of North Georgia (UNG) Police's headquarters seemed unusual, but the acquisition delighted the public safety personnel on the Dahlonega Campus. The redesigned restaurant will accommodate...
Pickerington adds text-to-911 to emergency-response services (OH)
The city of Pickerington recently upgraded its emergency-response services to enable its emergency dispatch center to receive text messages. Pickerington Police Chief Tod Cheney said the city launched its text-to-911 services Aug. 26. The move will provide...
Opinion: Dialing 911 for a mental health emergency will soon dispatch clinicians, not police (CA)
Gloria is the mayor of San Diego and lives in Mission Hills. Fletcher is chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and lives in City Heights. Not all emergencies are alike. Police officers respond to crimes. Firefighters respond to fires. Paramedics respond...
SURVEY
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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Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
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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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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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