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As crime rates soar 9-1-1’s location flaw is exposed
It’s a terrifying scenario, it’s 2:37 AM, you’re asleep in your own bed and suddenly you’re awakened by sound, a criminal has broken into your home. You pick up your cell phone and dial 9-1-1, the operator answers, you’re frightened and trying to be quiet so the...
911 Center Design Considerations for Dispatcher Mental Health
More often than not, an experience that involves interaction with a 911 dispatcher is often a part of someone's “worst day” ever. Constantly on the receiving end of calls from persons experiencing emergency situations, that “worst day” reality is experienced ten fold...
E-Comm warns of continued high call volumes and lengthy waits on police non-emergency lines (Canada)
Extraordinarily high demand for emergency services has led to longer wait times on police non-emergency lines answered by E-Comm, as call takers prioritize a record-breaking number of 9-1-1 calls from people in life or death situations. A number of major...
Letter: Ludicrous to outsource public safety dispatch (MA)
I have learned that The Ipswich Public Safety Dispatch Center is being threatened and in danger of being shut down thus closing our police station. The Ipswich Dispatch Center is staffed by highly qualified, trained and dedicated men and women. The idea of outsourcing...
Columbus sees early success in alternative 911 response teams (OH)
COLUMBUS – Columbus city officials say a six-week pilot program aimed at reimagining police response to 911 callers suffering from mental health and addiction issues yielded promising results. Data collected over a span of 72 operation hours in June and July showed...
Report by Cleveland-based think tank calls for social workers to deal with mental health emergencies instead of police (OH)
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Imagine calling 911 and having the option to have police or a mental health professional respond to the call. “Really think about how do we transform policing so that we keep our residents safe,” said Piet Van Lier, lead researcher at Policy...
County officials unveil new emergency communications system (MD)
County officials gathered Thursday near a radio tower stretching well over 100 feet into the air, close to Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department. The new tower is part of a $42 million investment County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council members made...
St. Joseph County dispatch giving 9-1-1 dispatchers raises, bonuses (IN)
The St. Joseph County 911 center says it's in a staffing emergency right now-- but, there’s help. Dispatchers are now getting 5% raises across the board and retention bonuses for staying on the team. Leaders hope paying dispatchers more will help solve some of the...
Montgomery Co.’s public safety communications system gets $42M upgrade (MD)
Two years after suffering communications outages that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to as long as 14 hours, Montgomery County’s public safety radio communications system received a major upgrade. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich held a news conference...
New technology helps incident response team keep Elkhart Co. 4-H Fair safe (IN)
GOSHEN, Ind. (WNDU) - Fairgoers are enjoying the last few days of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair. The incident response team works tirelessly to make sure everyone can feel safe. 16 News Now shows us a new strategy they’re using to respond to emergencies quicker than...
County says consolidation of 911 services will save cities money (MO)
Franklin County commissioners met Tuesday with city leaders from Washington, Pacific and Sullivan to convince them to join the county’s new emergency dispatch center. Union and St. Clair are using the new dispatch center to coordinate police, fire and ambulance calls,...
‘Call if you can, text if you can’t’: Text-to-911 feature now available (CA)
—County residents can use the Text-to-911 emergency notification service, which allows people to text rather than call during a crisis. It is especially beneficial to people who have hearing and speech impairments, said Erin Brockus, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office....
New technologies drive code advancements for in-building public-safety communications
In-building coverage is a significant challenge for first-responder emergency communications, according to an International Fire Chiefs Association report based on a Safer Buildings Coalition survey conducted in 2018. According to the report, 98% of emergency...
County takes next step towards transitioning emergency communications (MI)
Converting the county’s emergency radio communications systems to the Michigan Public Safety Communication System is anticipated to cost millions of dollars, but is necessary to bring Hillsdale County online with interoperability with surrounding jurisdictions. ...
York County boosts 911 dispatchers pay; Severe need still exists (PA)
Springettsbury Township, York County — Working behind the scenes, emergency dispatchers are the lifeline between the call for help and first responders answering the bell. But a serious shortage, across the state and country, is hampering hiring. York County hopes a...
Mountain Brook City Council approves contract for E-911 services (AL)
The Mountain Brook City Council, at its regular meeting for Monday, July 26, approved a contract with a provider of E-911 services for the city. The three-year contract is between the Mountain Brook Emergency Communications District and the Shelby County Emergency...
Watch now: Former Coles 911 vice chair critiques remote work agreement (IL)
MATTOON — The Coles-Moultrie County Emergency Telephone System Board's former vice chairman has spoken out against a new contract that lets the system's assistant director work remotely from Florida. The board discussed the remote work agreement, which the system's...
Re-imagining public safety: Leaders discuss whether police should respond to mental health emergencies (WI)
MILWAUKEE — Re-imagining public safety was the goal of a panel discussion Friday with Milwaukee Acting Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, Milwaukee Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, and Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Administrator Mike Lappen. Among the questions:...
Gillian pitches $42M public safety project for Ocean City (NJ)
OCEAN CITY — Mayor Jay Gillian acknowledges $42 million is a big number. That’s the estimated price of a proposal to combine the city’s police and fire operations in a single building on West Avenue at Fifth Street. In a recent interview, Gillian said the estimate...
Dodge County Sheriff urges public to help reduce 911 hang-up calls (WI)
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to help them reduce 911 hang-up calls. Sheriff Dale Schmidt stated Friday that the number of 911 hang-ups his agency has received is becoming “daunting.” The sheriff’s office has taken 2,292...
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.
PETITIONS
Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
PSBTA UPDATES
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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GRANTS
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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