The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) has partnered with Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (HSEMD) to use FirstNet as the backup connection for the state’s public safety answering points (PSAPs).ICN has deployed FirstNet LTE connections to 24 of the state’s 113 PSAPs so far, with about 10 more slated for installations. Under the agreement, connected PSAPs will automatically reroute 911 calls from ICN to FirstNet to keep callers wirelessly connected…

During the week of April 11-17, public safety agencies take time to reflect on the critical role telecommunications professionals play in supporting first responders. The week, sponsored by APCO International, honors the thousands of men and women across the country...

A surcharge fee of $2 charged for every 911 call made in Monroe County will remain the same.County commissioners approved of the fee in a resolution passed at their meeting Tuesday as recommended by Donna L. Kuti, director of Monroe County Central Dispatch. The fee is a continuation of the current fee and will be in effect from July 1 through June 30, 2022.The fee is charged in monthly bills for all landline, wireless and voiced-over Internet service providers in the county. Income from the fee is used to finance equipment, facilities and all other operational costs for the 911 emergency services.Keeping the rate the same was determined after reviewing the estimated 911 revenues and expenses and consulting with the finance office, Kuti said in a March 31 letter to commissioners. The county board is authorized to set the fee every year by May 15.“What was not included was the fire paging financing and repayment schedule as it was not known at the time,” she said.Revenues for the 911 calls so far in 2021 amounted to $3,756,100, of which $3.4 million was derived from the surcharge, a report from County Administrator Michael Bosanac showed. Total expenses amounted to $3,758,241, of which $2.2 million were personnel costs and $525,215 were operating costs. The expenses were $2,141 greater than the revenues.

A bill that would force Spokane County to negotiate with the city of Spokane on how emergency communications are funded has now passed both chambers of the Washington legislature. The bill follows a longstanding conflict between Spokane County and the City of Spokane...

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The person on the other end of the line may just be the critical link in an emergency. Operators in local emergency centers are called telecommunicators. It’s their job to match a caller and their needs with the best and fastest responder;...

On Wednesday, March 31, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott, and city staff held a virtual community meeting to introduce the Public Safety Building Project. The new facility will house both the Police and...

PLEASANT PRAIRIE — A 2019 study by the McGrath Consulting Group not only recommended a third fire station in the village, but also additional manpower to support it. And while it’s just a first step toward the latter, the pieces were put into place to do just that...

Featured among a full agenda is a presentation on allowing the Crawford County Public Safety Department to take responsibility for emergency dispatching services currently performed by Meadville Police Department. When a similar proposal was the focus of a special...

St. Francois County Joint Communications Center can now rely on a stable stream of funding, as voters determined 3,294 votes to 607, or 84% of the vote, to make permanent the 3/8-cent sales tax they last approved in 2014. The tax annually generates about $3 million...

TUCSON (KVOA) - Several agencies came together Tuesday evening to put on a Public Safety Career Fair. Tucson Police Department, Tucson Fire Department and officials with public safety communications are all looking to fill positions. Officials from each department...

People found living in man-made cave in city close to San FranciscoConstruction workers have found two people living in a man-made cave in a California city.The laborers in Vallejo, about 30 miles from San Francisco, were excavating the site of an old bridge when they heard voices coming from a nearby embankment. The workers called law enforcement and the fire department, fearing someone was injured. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “dozens of police, firefighters and rescue workers from Vallejo and nearby agencies converged on the bridge at Sacramento Street and Farragut Avenue.” Law enforcement found a 20-foot long, three-foot high, man-made cave with two people inside.

TUCSON (KVOA) - The Tucson Police Department, Tucson Fire and Public Safety Communications are hosting a Public Safety Career Fair on Tuesday to answer any questions you may have about what its like to work in the field. It's happening from 4 to 7 p.m. at the West...

Citizens ready to answer the call can now apply to be public safety dispatchers for the Henrico County Divison of Police, which opened applications for the role April 2. Public safety dispatchers, known as communications officers in the division, are the critical link...

In March of 2020, Wexford County Central Dispatch moved into a new state of the art 911 Communications Center located in Cadillac, the communications center is staffed 24/7 365 days a year with 2 dispatchers on duty at all times. Wexford County Central Dispatch provides fire, police and medical dispatching services for all Wexford County emergency service agencies. We replaced our legacy analog phone system with an IP based system that brings enhanced redundancy and survivability in support of Next Generation 911 concepts, including Text to 911. We also replaced antiquated radio consoles with new Zetron Max dispatch positions, using the Michigan Public Safety Communication System (MPSCS), and all agencies have switched to 800MHz radio and paging devices within Wexford County.
In addition to dispatching for all Wexford County Emergency Agencies, dispatchers at Wexford Communications perform dispatch services for multiple public works agencies including: Wexford County Road Commission, Cadillac Street Department, Cadillac Utilities and Lake Mitchell Sewer Authority. Dispatchers also enter, hold and maintain all Wexford County Court paperwork like Warrants, Probations Orders, and PPO’s just to name a few.
Dispatchers are responsible for receiving and prioritizing emergency and non-emergency telephone calls, dispatching fire and medical resources, performing Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and managing radio communications.