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Mutual-aid agreements: Mission-critical to rural public safety
Mutual-aid agreements (MAAs) codify how agencies share resources. It may sound simple, but these standard documents are far more important than the basic definition implies and are not as “standard” as you might think. The MAA is a legal covenant, a promise between...
Saratoga County Announces Initiative to Strengthen AED Database (NY)
Ballston Spa, NY — Saratoga County officials today announced that the Emergency Services Department will host a prize-winning contest for people supporting the installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the county. This contest is an effort to expand...
Update expected on pilot program to address 911 mental-health-related calls (TX)
SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County officials will share an update on Monday about a pilot program, which started in 2020, on how to address 911 mental-health-related calls is going. The Specialized Multidisciplinary Alternate Response Team (S.M.A.R.T.) is dispatched through...
Maintenance work affects 911 service in two Kansas counties
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Maintenance work affected 911 emergency call service in two Kansas counties over the weekend. Sedgwick County officials said Sunday that callers to 911 in the Wichita area heard a recording instead of reaching a live dispatcher overnight Saturday,...
Delays in replacement emergency communications system sparks heated comments from commissioner (TN)
Once again, the failing emergency communications equipment in Hawkins County was the topic of a recent heated exchange at the July 21 Public Safety Committee meeting. As members of local emergency response agencies gave reports to the Committee, Commissioner Dawson...
Communication technology for First Responders during wildfire season (CO)
With Colorado wildfire season officially in full swing, fast and ultra-reliable communication is key for our state’s first responders. Eagle County public safety agencies are transforming their communication technology with FirstNet, built with AT&T a...
Broome County Communications Center ‘experiencing issues’ with complaint reporting lines, officials say (NY)
The Broome County Office of Emergency Services said the County Communications Center is "experiencing issues" with the Binghamton, Vestal and Johnson City police 10-digit complaint reporting lines. Broome County officials said people should call 607-778-1911 if their...
Macomb County Completes Work On New Dispatch Training Center (MI)
MACOMB COUNTY, MI — Macomb County has completed work on its new dispatch training center at the Macomb County Emergency Management and Communications Technical Services Building in Mount Clemons. The center will provide training programs to police, fire and EMS...
LeDuc named full-time 911 director (TN)
The Coffee County Consolidated Communications Committee named the interim director, Scott LeDuc, as the full-time Coffee County 911 Communications Center Director during the July meeting Wednesday night. The board’s steering committee interviewed the top two finalists...
NGA 911 and Roadside Telematics Corp. Announce Partnership to Enable Increased Situational Awareness for First Responders Nationwide
NGA 911, the leading-edge Public Safety solutions provider, today announces a partnership with Roadside Telematics Corp (RTC), the leading provider of contextual vehicular emergency data, to support linking connected cars with Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, and first...
Priority Dispatch Brings Modernization to Smaller, Rural 911 Agencies
SALT LAKE CITY – Priority Dispatch® is revolutionizing the emergency dispatch industry with its new cloud-based calltaking software, ProQA® Discovery, which can be deployed and maintained 100% virtually, including implementation, training, certification, and quality...
TEENAGER & GRANDMOTHER THANK FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HELPED SAVE HIS LIFE (TX)
Just two months ago, Sharon Scruggs called 911 in a panic. Her grandson, 17-year-old Logan Dillard, was carrying a metal pole when it came too close to a power line, and he was electrocuted. He went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing, but Ms. Scruggs knew...
Office Of The Mayor Of Seattle: Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces Proposal To Create A New Alternative to Non-Emergency Calls (WA)
Seattle (July 23, 2021) – Building off of the City's work to reimagine policing and community safety, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced a proposal to create a new specialized triage response that will provide an alternative model for some non-criminal 9-1-1 calls and...
NYC is sending social workers instead of police to some 911 calls. Here’s how it’s going. (NY)
NEW YORK — Teams of mental health professionals and EMTs responding to 911 calls in a pilot program in Harlem have reduced the rate of hospitalizations for people in crisis, data released by New York City shows. But advocates say more work is needed to eliminate...
San Luis Obispo adds mental health crisis teams to address mental & substance abuse calls (CA)
KCBX's Angel Russell reports. As cities across the country grapple with the issue of police responding to mental health and substance abuse crisis related calls, the city of San Luis Obispo is expanding on one program — and creating another — to help shift...
Emergency service workers push for mental health leave (SC)
Emergency personnel are pushing for workers compensation to cover mental health leave. LEXINGTON, S.C. — Emergency personnel are pushing for workers compensation to cover mental health leave. Currently, if a firefighter or police officer suffers PTSD on the job,...
Matthew Ballou, a South Berwick firefighter and dispatcher for Biddeford Public Safety, dies at 32 (ME)
Matt Ballou Photos courtesy of Ballou family Matthew Ballou, a South Berwick firefighter and Biddeford Public Safety dispatcher known for his easy smile, quick wit and professionalism, died Wednesday following a complication from surgery. He was 32. Ballou died at...
Lighting strike taking out system may accelerate Cape May’s move to county dispatch (NJ)
CAPE MAY — In “one really incredible crack” on Wednesday, the city's decision as to whether to move to the countywide emergency dispatch system got a lot easier when lightning struck City Hall. “It fried our dispatch center. It fried our backups, everything,” said...
Company questions Kern about contract to upgrade emergency radio system potentially worth $78M (CA)
One company said it was deliberately excluded from multi-million dollar contracts with Bakersfield, Kern County, and Taejong Ranch to upgrade the county’s public security communications network. EF Johnson, a Minnesota-based radio maker, wrote in a June letter to the...
Public Safety Agencies Announce Plan for New 911 Triage Team (WA)
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz (Photo: Paul Kiefer, PubliCola News) By Paul Kiefer By next summer, Seattle’s emergency call dispatchers may have a new crisis response team at their disposal. The new unit, called Triage One, would be housed within the Seattle Fire...
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.
LISTEN TO PODCAST
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.
REGISTER
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