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Moving 911 From the Police Department Is Just a Start (WA)
Photo by Dimo Fedortchenko (Creative Commons) Last year’s protests may not have resulted in the dismantling of the Seattle Police Department, but as of June 1, they have produced one small shift: Seattle’s 911 dispatch is no longer housed within SPD. Instead, the unit...
Letter to the Editor: Keeping 911 in the City’s Mental Health Emergency Response
To the editor: Last week, I joined the final day of training for the new teams who will soon begin responding to 911 mental health calls in East Harlem and Harlem. Through this pilot program - the Behavioral Emergency Response Assistance Division or B-HEARD - mental...
Forsyth County Government: Forsyth County 911 Center Awarded CALEA Re-Accreditation
CALEA re-accreditation demonstrates commitment to excellence The Forsyth County 911 Center was recently awarded the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Public Safety Communications Re-Accreditation and was recognized for the accomplishment...
Red Bluff police to handle Tehama County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center calls (GA)
RED BLUFF — The Tehama County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center was closed between midnight and 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain so during those hours due to staffing shortages. During the early morning hours, emergency calls for service will be rerouted to the Red Bluff Police...
New 911 radio dispatch system tested and accepted at factory (MI)
The 911 emergency radio system reconstruction is progressing with completion and acceptance scheduled for early 2022. A delegation from Branch County law enforcement, fire departments and central dispatch on Monday went to J&K in Indiana for a “factory acceptance...
Jones gives final report to E911 Board (AL)
With a system update, financial report and recommendation for a successor, longtime E911 Coordinator Lon Jones gave his final report to the Enterprise E911 Board of Directors at a meeting May 18. Jones said that the city’s Computer-Aided Dispatch system has been...
Making accidental phone calls and hanging up causes stress for dispatchers (MO)
NEWTON COUNTY, MO – 9-1-1 calls happen every day, but not all of them are intentional. Not only does it create more stress, but so far this year, the Newton County Central Dispatch has gotten over 1,200 9-1-1 hang-up calls. That adds up to just over 6 a day. Even is...
Idea of switching authority over dispatchers off the table
MONTICELLO — The idea of transferring authority of Piatt County dispatchers from the sheriff’s office to the Emergency Telephone System Board has apparently met a quick death. Mentioned as a possibility at a previous ETSB meeting, even board members agreed it was not...
Suffolk Pushes NY Law Designating Dispatchers As First Responders
Suffolk County lawmakers want New York to pass a bill that would officially recognize emergency service dispatchers as first responders before the state legislative session ends Thursday. Lawmakers and union leaders said recognition is long overdue for Suffolk...
Metro 911 dispatchers push technology and patience to combat overloading (TN)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The sound of gunfire outside of Bar Louie in the Gulch sent customers running and desperately calling for help. However, witnesses tell News 2 they had trouble getting connected to 911 dispatchers. “It wouldn’t go through,” said Tim Davis,...
Hillsborough County Residents Can Now Text-To-911 (FL)
Hillsborough County residents can now Text-To-911 for help. The Text-To-911 program is already available in surrounding Tampa Bay counties like Pinellas and Citrus. Text-To-911 is not meant to replace calling 911 but to help make it easier for those who are deaf or...
Large power outage in Gilroy takes out traffic lights, emergency communications center (CA)
GILROY, Calif. (KTXL) — A large power outage in Gilroy has temporarily taken out traffic lights throughout the city and affected the emergency communications center. Pacific Gas and Electric’s outage map shows two major power outages that started around noon,...
Alternative Dispatch Programs for Mental Health 911 Calls Piloted in 13 Cities
Thirteen cities have completed an eight-week “policy-sprint” to develop programs to create an emergency response that assigns civilian mental health counselors to respond to 911 calls, CNN reports. The Alternative Dispatch Programs, developed by Everytown For Gun...
Baldwin County 911 Center hailed as of the finest in Georgia
In an emergency, dispatchers are the key link to getting a person the help they need right away.Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee believes those women and men who answer such calls and serve the community in so many other ways day and night and all holidays included,...
City, county launching new emergency radio system Tuesday (KS)
After years of planning and collaboration, the new county-wide emergency radio system is almost live. The system is scheduled to launch at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, according to information provided this afternoon by local public safety agencies. The new digital...
St. Louis’ 911 system delays can leave callers vulnerable (MO)
A shortage of dispatchers may mean you're going to be put on hold if you call to report an emergency ST. LOUIS — When you're in danger or witnessing a crime, every second counts. For months, St. Louis's 911 dispatch system has been putting callers on hold. Over the...
Lethbridge police counter criticism on response times (Canada)
The Lethbridge Police Service is responding to criticisms leveled at them during last week’s police commission meeting by a group of Westminster area residents for not responding fast enough when they call to report a problem in their local park. Insp. Jason...
Councilman Muschal wife fume over 911 response following near-death experience at Wishy Washy (NJ)
Teflon councilman George Muschal and wife Theresa are on their way out of Trenton but they almost didn't make it past the weekend. They said in interviews Monday that they're thankful to be alive after an out-of-control driver slammed into their business Saturday,...
MedStar Introduces New CPR Education Program to Help Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival (TX)
MedStar Mobile Healthcare has implemented a Resuscitation Quality Improvement Telecommunicator to deliver high-quality telephone CPR to patients experiencing cardiac arrest. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States annually,...
Next-generation 911 advancing quickly, but needs better funding, experts say
The nation’s move to the next generation of 911 technology has made strides over the past year, but industry experts said during an online event Friday that considerable work is still needed in securing sustainable funding from Congress and establishing standards,...
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.
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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.
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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.
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