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Oakland County dispatchers train to become masters of chaos (MI)
Aubrey Higgins proved to her trainers recently that she was prepared to master Oakland County chaos on her own. The new telecommunicator graduated from six months of 911 call center training by calmly organizing emergency responses to a busy simulated half-hour's...
Proposed fire dispatch deal could save Sooke thousands of dollars (Canada)
The City of Langford’s decision to strike out on its own for emergency fire dispatch services will likely put more cash in the pockets of Sooke taxpayers. Langford has operated a joint fire dispatch service for nine years with Sooke, Highlands, Metchosin, Salt Spring...
Atlanta airport reverses course, hiring Emergency Medical Dispatchers after 11Alive investigation (GA)
After insisting an EMD program would be 'too challenging,' airport officials are planning to train all 911 dispatchers to handle medical calls. COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now hiring Emergency Medical Dispatchers and EMD...
Arlington auditor abandons study of sheriff’s-office overtime (VA)
On second thought . . . well, never mind. The Arlington County government auditor, Chris Horton, has received permission to abandon an in-progress look at overtime costs at the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. The audit began prior to the pandemic, and with its...
FCC votes to prevent authorization of equipment deemed a risk
WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission, which plays an important role in protecting the security of America's communications networks, today proposed rules that would prohibit all future authorizations for communications equipment deemed to pose an...
River Rouge police dispatcher says she was fired after racial harassment (MI)
RIVER ROUGE, Mich. (FOX 2) - "I felt uncomfortable, I am already frightened to go to work," Felicia Beard said. "I was already intimidated." Felicia Beard worked for the River Rouge Police Department for 17 years, but the 911 dispatcher says the racism,...
SOMA Wearable Tracks First Responders’ Location, Biometrics
“The smartwatch will complement SOMA’s broader “Public Safety as a Service” cloud platform, which includes dispatch, emergency response, data interoperability, and jail management components.” Law enforcement tech specialist SOMA Global has announced a new smartwatch...
Council supports KPD scanner encryption (HI)
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council voiced support for the Kaua‘i Police Department’s continued efforts to encrypt dispatch communications. KPD Chief Todd Raybuck said that it’s “pretty common knowledge where our officers are assigned and how many officers we have on...
County announces $6.8 million public safety radio improvement project for Humboldt (CA)
HUMBOLDT, Calif. — Humboldt County announced Thursday a new project to improve their public safety radio system as they said communication is critical during an emergency and the project is long overdue. The project focuses on the system linking first responders...
San Ramon Police, Fire, 911 Dispatchers To Get A New Home (CA)
SAN RAMON, CA — Construction is now underway on the San Ramon Public Safety Complex. It kicked off with a recent groundbreaking ceremony at 2401 Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon, where the complex will be located. The 9,800-square-foot building will house the San Ramon...
Newton County breaks ground on tower for incoming E-911 radio system (GA)
OXFORD, Ga. — Next summer, public safety radio dead spots across Newton County will be no more. County officials and first responders gathered outside Newton County Fire Station No. 9, located at 176 Mt. Zion Road in Oxford, on Thursday to break ground on the...
County Upgrading 9-1-1 Infrastructure (VA)
When an emergency occurs, it's important that calls are sent to the right place and personnel are able to locate those involved. Upgrading 9-1-1 infrastructure can help with these tasks. Prince William County will switch to Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network...
Erie County Department of Public Safety launches new mobile app for first responders (PA)
Erie, PA – The Erie County Department of Public Safety has launched a new mobile application called CrewForce, which aids first responders who are responding to an emergency by providing access to mission-critical information in real time. CrewForce provides a vital...
Lexington County enhances 9-1-1 services and emergency notification with Smart911 (SC)
Lexington, SC 06/16/2021 - Emergency Service officials in Lexington County have announced that Smart911 is now available to all individuals. Smart911 is a free service that allows individuals and families to sign up online to provide key information to County 9-1-1...
‘What if it had been me?’: Man tries Durham 911 call center three times — all go unanswered (NC)
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh man tried to call 9-1-1 three times on his way into Durham Wednesday when he came upon a wreck but couldn't get through to anyone. Josh Privette said he was headed to dinner on Highway 70 and saw a car stopped that had its airbags out...
Little Elm eyes mobile command unit (TX)
The town of Little Elm will soon have another tool to help with emergency response. The Town Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of a mobile command center from Farber Specialty Vehicles in the amount of $599,853. According to the town, the 38-foot-long vehicle...
New technology allows first responders to listen in on 911 calls (NV)
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is the first law enforcement agency in the State of Nevada to deploy Live911 technology. Developed by Higher Ground, Live911 allows first responders to hear the 911 calls as they are being answered by dispatchers in real-time. This...
New tool uses smartphone GPS to find 911 callers in N.W.T. (Canada)
A new tool to help 911 dispatchers has already helped save a life in the Northwest Territories. RapidSOS is a data platform that helps first responders locate callers by tracking the GPS on their smartphones. The 911 division in the N.W.T. government started using...
New Communications Centre Completed In Raymond Terrace (Australia)
COMMUNICATION is vital, especially during natural disaster incidents. For Port Stephens there is an ongoing collaboration of agencies where Marine Rescue assists the Rural Fire Service with radio communications playing a major role during bushfire events. The Public...
Apple Watches, phones accidentally dialing up trouble for dispatch (MI)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Don’t bump the buttons: That’s the message from emergency dispatchers across the country as they deal with a large number of accidental calls to 911 from Apple products. “You’re having people, I’m assuming, that are just double tapping...
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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