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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,...
Meigs County dispatcher saves a life by giving CPR instructions over the phone (TN)
MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. — A family in Meigs County credits a quick-thinking 911 dispatcher for saving a life, even though the dispatcher wasn't near the person she saved. On May 1st, Karissa Cardner successfully gave CPR instructions for a 25-year-old man who was...
Question Answered: What’s the status of Ripon’s dispatch transfer? (WI)
Question:What’s the status of Ripon’s dispatch transfer?Answer:After nine months of intensive work, the transfer of all Emergency Communications Services between the city of Ripon and Fond du Lac County Communications Center happened Tuesday. “The transition has been...
Enlisting Mental Health Workers, Not Cops, In Mobile Crisis Response (O
Spencer Merritt thought he was going to die. Voices in his head—angry, insistent voices—told him he’d been poisoned by Ivermex, an antiparasite drug prescribed for veterinary use that his mother kept in the house. Other imagined voices belonging to his mother and...
New PSN Radio tower installed at Umina Beach (Australia)
A new emergency communications tower has recently opened at Umina Beach in a bid to expand the Central Coast’s Public Safety Network. The new radio site, which is located at 51 Castle Circuit, Umina Beach, was delivered by the NSW Telco Authority. Parliamentary...
Commissioners say FCC let carriers off the hook for 911 vertical location requirements
FCC Commissioners Brendan Carrr and Nathan Simington say the agency is letting wireless carriers off the hook over 911 vertical location obligations after agreements with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon were announced Thursday. Vertical location, or z-axis, data...
Johnson ends 36-year ride with the Somerset County Department of Emergency Services (PA)
It's been a heck of a ride for David Johnson. On May 27 he hung up his headset and retired after 36 years of working in the Somerset County Department of Emergency Services. Those years held many calls for Johnson, nicknamed "JJ," including United Flight 93 crashing...
Sullivan County Public Safety commissioner resigns (NY)
MONTICELLO – Sullivan County Public Safety Commissioner Rick Sauer has resigned from his position effective July 9 and will become the emergency services director for Sampson County, North Carolina. Sauer served as Sullivan County commissioner of Public safety for the...
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.
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Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
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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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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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