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Allegany County 911 dispatchers recognized for public service (MD)
CUMBERLAND — The Allegany County Department of Emergency Services is recognizing the work of 24 dispatchers at its 911 Joint Communications Center in conjunction with National Telecommunications Week. In 2020, county dispatchers received 140,458 calls, many of which...
Special delivery: 911 dispatcher helps American Fork parents deliver their baby (CA)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A baby will come into the world at its own pace. Sometimes the baby is born after the due date. Sometimes they come early. For one woman, the baby came before she could get inside a hospital, but luckily a nurse was within earshot of the woman and...
Dispatchers Recognized for Hard Work during Telecommunicators Week (IN)
Dispatchers around the area are being recognized this week for their hard work in providing immediate assistance to those who call police for help. A 911 Dispatcher, or Telecommunicator, is the first person you talk to when you call 911 to report an emergency day or...
It’s National Public Safety Telecommunications Week! (GA)
AUGUSTA (WFXG) - The week of April 11-17 is dedicated to the people who help us through our emergencies. It's National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. It's a career that keeps the dispatchers at Gold Cross EMS busy. In fact, in just two minutes, the center is...
Thanking 911 Dispatchers: The First Step of First Responders (NY)
Each year, the second week of April is celebrated at National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, honoring those who dedicate their lives to serving the public. Telecommunication personnel work as 911 operators evaluating incoming emergency calls and sending...
Public safety communicators honored with National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (OK)
In observance of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, April 11-17, The Ada News spoke to 911 dispatchers located in the Ada City Hall Annex. Central Dispatch is the nexus of public safety communications in Pontotoc County. Dispacters sit in a darkened room,...
National public safety telecommunications week (NY)
BINGHAMTON, NY – This week we are celebrating the workers that do their part in keeping the first responders safe. This week is National Public Safety Telecommunications week and it’s a time to honor the 9-1-1 dispatchers and all their hard work. On a day to day...
Ridgefield Police Salute Unseen Heroes of Public Safety (CT)
This week, the Ridgefield Police Department is celebrating the men and women of our Emergency Communications System. When you’re faced with an emergency such as crime, a crash, a fire, or a medical episode, these are frequently the very first people you speak to. They...
‘Heroes Behind the Headsets’: KSP dispatchers often first voice heard on person’s worst day (KY)
HICKORY — They are often the first voices a person will hear in the event of an emergency. They are an unseen lifeline in a time of distress. They are called “heroes behind the headsets” for good reason. Telecommunicators, or dispatchers, with Kentucky State Police...
Our First Responder Award this month honors 911 operator Trish Matthews (TN)
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – It’s National Public Safety telecommunications Week–a time to recognize the valuable contributions made by the thousands of 9-1-1 employees across the country. The Hamilton county 9-1-1 center has almost 200 people who fit that category...
Public Safety Technology Alliance (PSTA) to shut down
After three years of existence, the non-profit Public Safety Technology Alliance (PSTA) will cease operations within 45 days as officials say they believe that the organization achieved its primary goal to promote public safety’s use of open-standard technologies.
“PSTA achieved its mission,” PSTA board member Jeff Johnson said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “In a time where we were transitioning to an LTE entrant into the public-safety community through FirstNet, it was important that we did what we could to maintain open standards and that we caused the conversation [to be conducted within public safety]. I’m extremely satisfied with what we achieved and what standards we were able to get vetted in a broad group of stakeholders.
“That was a great group of people and a lot of good contributors—the bottom line is that it was good for public safety. But all things have their time, and we’ve moved into an era where the tech community has embraced public safety and our need for open standards. Our work here is done, as they say.”
Victoria Lee, who led the management of PSTA operations, echoed this sentiment, noting that multiple public-safety-focused organizations—for example, TCCA, FirstNet, the Public Safety Technology Broadband Association (PSTBA), the National Alliance of Public Safety GIS and the R2 Network—are advocating that public safety leverage open-standards solutions and APIs.
“Basically, everybody out there is really kind of pushing it,” Lee said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “They get it, and that was really the ultimate goal of PSTA.
“We see it as a good-news story, because it did exactly what it was meant to do for the time it was meant to do it.”
PSTA will close operations “in the next 30 to 45 days,” Lee said. Members began discussing the possibility of closing the organization at the end of last year, as PSTA’s technical subcommittees completed their reports about the following issues:
Cybersecurity
Identity/Single Sign On (SSO)
Mission-Critical PTX (talk/video/data)
Mapping
Situational Awareness
LMR/LTE Interoperability
While these technical reports were completed, Lee said activity within the PSTA has been “fairly dormant” during the past year, in large part because public-safety members’ time was consumed with responsibilities associated with COVID-19 response effort, in addition their normal job duties.
In fact, TJ Kennedy—the former FirstNet Authority president who led the founding of the PSTA in 2018—officially is still listed as CEO of the PSTA. Even if the PSTA had continued, “that was going to have to change,” given Kennedy’s current job as CEO and president of Qumu, which provides virtual collaboration platform services to enterprises.
Lee is managing director of The Public Safety Network, a for-profit company that was founded in 2017 by Kennedy and former FirstNet Authority Chief Counsel Jason Karp. Although many key players for The Public Safety Network did work for the PSTA, Lee emphasized that The Public Safety Network is continuing its work.
Getting real-time crash data to responders
Public safety answering points (PSAPs) in California can get real-time crash notifications through an agreement between a cloud-based emergency response platform and General Motors’ OnStar emergency system. Announced at the end of March, the collaboration between...
City honors retired SRO Jason Davis; dedicates this week to county’s emergency dispatch center (NY)
The City of Batavia this week honored a longtime police officer who recently retired and recognized the contributions of Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center personnel. City Council President Eugene Jankowski and Council member Jeremy Karas, at Monday night's...
Answering the call: Public safety dispatchers honored this week (MI)
You won't find them at the scene of an emergency, but there is a group of unseen first responders who play a crucial, lifesaving role in the public safety system — 911 dispatchers. "These men and women come to work on nights, weekends and holidays," said Whitney...
‘It takes a special person’: Honoring Morrison County’s 911 dispatchers
They are often heard, but seldom seen. Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen said they are “the lifeline heroes of every emergency.” They are 911 dispatchers. Morrison County joined in the celebration of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week from April 11 - 17...
Longview 911 Dispatch manager talks evolution of service (TX)
LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - They sit behind multiple computer screens their entire shift, but they could save your life. They are the operators of 911 dispatch. And although National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is under way, their jobs have not become any less...
New Castle County executive congratulates 911 operators (DE)
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer congratulated New Castle County’s Emergency Communications Chief Emergency Jefferey P. Miller on being recognized by The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch as an Accredited Center of Excellence for emergency medical...
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week: Honoring 911 dispatchers (NC)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – They deal with everything from delivering babies to car crashes. 911 dispatchers need to know a little bit of everything for emergency situations. This week, area dispatchers have been honored as part of National Public Safety...
Thanking those who always answer the call: 911 dispatchers (ND)
They’re there when you need them during a crisis: 911 dispatchers. This week, we’re thanking the hard-working men and women in telecommunications. “We’re that front line that’s behind the phone that nobody ever sees,” said Margaret Haugan, PSAP manager. “911 what’s...
Local 911 dispatchers recall important role during last week’s mass shooting (NC)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is saying thank you to its communications team. While she can’t see the callers on the other line, for more than 20 years, Ashley Conrad has heard...
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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