Top Comm Center Headlines
News & Articles
Inside one state’s effort to digitize 911 to improve public safety (AZ)
A year into its implementation of next generation 911, Arizona officials see promising improvements for public safety responses. The state’s Department of Administration has worked for the past several years to transition the state’s 911 system from a...
Lincoln Police investigating series of hoax emergency calls (NE)
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Lincoln Police Department is investigating a series of fictitious emergency calls involving false reports of fires across the city at several homes and an LPS high school. Over the past month, the 911 Emergency Communications Center has...
911 Outage Complicated By Failure (HI)
The public wasn’t notified about a 911 outage until about three hours after problems began because the Honolulu Police Department was struggling to come up with an alternate means of communication, officials said Monday. Police are investigating what caused the 911...
Change in law complicates 911 hiring (KY)
A change in state law approved earlier this year complicated hiring for 911 dispatch centers, and state 911 officials are hoping legislators will address the issue in the coming legislative session. READ FULL ARTICLE
“Heroes Behind Headset” author talks answering the call as a 911 dispatcher (WV)
She’s been a Fayette County 911 dispatcher and unsung hero for the past six years. When Bertha Blankenship took the call that her husband fell ill in 2022 it hit home and she decided to write a book about her dispatching experience. READ FULL ARTICLE
‘911 Guy’ looks to retire after 40 years of service with Dane County
Kevin Fisher has been a communicator with Dane County dispatch for 34 years. Fisher has worked in dispatch for so long people in the office and out in the community started calling him "911 guy" READ FULL ARTICLE
Next Gen 911 insiders say California hired inexperienced companies
After years of missed deadlines and documented safety issues surrounding the rollout of California’s Next Generation 911 system, project insiders are now speaking out, saying they feel compelled to warn the public about “major problems” with the years-long overhaul...
Oconee Co. dispatcher welcomed home following medical emergency abroad (SC)
The Oconee County community welcomed home a 911 dispatcher, who had suffered a medical emergency abroad. Members of community and Oconee County Sheriff’s Office lined up in Walhalla to greet Katie Johns as she was driven to her house. READ FULL ARTICLE
Disastrous’ Next Gen 911 rollout delaying life-saving help, records show (CA)
California is in the midst of a massive overhaul of its aging, landline-based 9-1-1 emergency call system, with project leaders promising the ground-breaking “Next Generation 911” (NG911) network will suffer fewer outages, deliver improved location accuracy, and...
APCO Pushes FCC for 911 Rulemaking on Interoperability
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) made recommendations to FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s office to issue proposed rulemaking on additional interoperability requirements for 9-1-1 providers. Specifically, APCO suggested that the emergency...
Summit County residents can now contact 911 via text (OH)
It's another tool for people who are in dangerous situations where texting is safer than calling, as well as those who are hearing impaired.
Winthrop Looking toward Expanded Regional Dispatch Center (MA)
The Metro North Regional Emergency Communications Center, comprising the dispatch services for Revere and Winthrop, is in talks to add a third community. At last week’s Winthrop Town Council meeting, Town Manager Tony Marino said the regional emergency communications...
Public safety is calling the FCC’s 4.9 decision a major win
In a unanimous, bipartisan, 4-0 decision, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is bolstering public safety’s use of the historically underutilized 4.9 GHz spectrum band. The new rules safeguard incumbent operations, establish a process to select a band manager, and make the spectrum available to the FirstNet Authority for 5G deployment on the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet).
New facility aims to replace existing SLO County sheriff and Cal Fire dispatch centers (CA)
On Oct. 23, members of dispatch and administration from the SLO County Sheriff's Office and Cal Fire division came together with hard hats and safety vests to sign their names and write messages around the construction site. According to Paul, this event was...
Waukegan moves forward with plans for city 911 operation; ‘This provides everything we need’ (IL)
Waukegan officials decided last summer that joining Lake Consolidated Emergency Communications (LakeComm) — rather than dispatching police, fire and emergency medical services for the city itself — was the wrong […]
Is consolidating emergency communications centers right for your agency?
In Pierce County, Washington, five 911 centers unified into South Sound 911, streamlining emergency communication and inspiring nationwide public safety improvements READ FULL ARTICLE
Heartbreak and heroism: Shelby County 911 dispatchers recall North Carolina mission (AL)
The decision to volunteer had to be made quickly, and they were facing unknown travel conditions. It took the crew two days to make it to the area of North Carolina they were stationed in. READ FULL ARTICLE
Minneapolis, Hennepin County dispatch centers unveil automatic 911 callback technology (MN)
Leaders from the Minneapolis and Hennepin County emergency communications and dispatch centers on Thursday unveiled a new technology to automatically call back abandoned 911 calls. The new Automated Abandoned Call (AAC) system will be used effective immediately. The...
Floyd 911 dispatching system ‘best it’s ever been,” officials say (KY)
Officials who oversee and monitor Floyd County’s 911 system say citizens are safer now than they were before dispatching services moved from Kentucky State Police Post 9 in Pikeville to the City of Prestonsburg due to better response time by law enforcement and...
Attorney general salutes DA, 911 communications – Restoration (NC)
Johnston’s district attorney and the county’s 911 communications team are among the latest recipients of N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Awards. The awards go to people who are working to improve the health, safety and well-being of their fellow North...
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
Subscribe to Comm Center News
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates
Share Your Story
Join our community to share your experience and connect and collaborate with colleagues.
Join Our Newsletter
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.



