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GRU demands Alachua County pay $1.6 million for public safety radio system, meeting to be held Monday (FL)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The radio dispatch system used to send ambulances on emergency calls in Gainesville and Alachua County is at the center of a dispute between GRU, the city, and the county. Leaders from the City of Gainesville and Alachua County are meeting...
FirstNet Network Adoption Grows, New Mission-Ready Solutions Launch
The following is a statement from Edward Parkinson, CEO of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), on key network developments:
The FirstNet Authority is pleased to see the adoption of the FirstNet network continue to grow at a fast pace. First responders need a network that works for them, and with the number of connections almost doubling since late 2019, it is clear that FirstNet is providing them with the capabilities they want and need.
It is also exciting to see how FirstNet is transforming the marketplace for public safety. These new mission-ready solutions are delivering innovative capabilities into the hands of first responders. Through our engagements with public safety, they identified these features as essential to advancing the FirstNet user experience, so we are thrilled to see them move from concept to reality.
The High-Power User Equipment (HPUE) solution, called FirstNet MegaRange(link is external), is a great example of how the FirstNet Authority is driving targeted solutions for public safety that take advantage of the unique characteristics that Band 14 spectrum offers. HPUE will boost connectivity for FirstNet users, especially those operating in remote areas, by leveraging the highest power class signaling available in the U.S.
The availability of Compact Rapid Deployables provides public safety with another unique coverage solution that allows them to “take the network with them” on short notice. The FirstNet Authority will continue to target the advancement of unique coverage solutions for public safety, as outlined in our Roadmap.
Enhancing situational awareness is also a key element of our Roadmap. The need to locate and share personnel location was emphasized to us throughout our engagements with public safety. The launch this week of the Z-axis feature is a significant first step in providing a solution to public safety to meet their unique location needs. Finally, first responders are now able to connect their LMR seamlessly with users on FirstNet PTT(link is external) and vice versa. This means first responders will be able to work together more easily and take advantage of all communications capabilities available to them.
Moving forward, the FirstNet Authority looks forward to continuing to work with the public safety community to innovate and advance their network and grow an ecosystem of products and services that are tailored to their unique operational needs.
Radio silence: As police encrypt dispatch transmissions, questions build on the public’s right to know (CA)
Police departments throughout the Midpeninsula are following in the footsteps of the Palo Alto Police Department, which on Jan. 5 abruptly announced it would immediately encrypt its dispatch radio communications — a longtime source of information for residents and the...
Non-emergency calls to 911 straining emergency response in Escambia County (FL)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WEAR) — Escambia County Emergency Management is working to combat ongoing staffing shortages in the department that's strained employees from working their normal duties. First responders are now asking callers to consider their situation...
Athens police employees honored on retirement (TX)
They served Athens as members of the police department for more than a quarter-century; this week, Sgt. Brett W. Morman and Dispatcher Patricia D. Garza received good wishes and honors from the department for their contributions which began under Chief David Harris in...
Little Rock residents say 911 dispatch is too slow at answering emergency calls (AR)
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — There's been recent complaints on social media about delayed response times by 911 dispatch from Little Rock residents. People have shared their stories of being on hold or never getting an answer from responders. Harold Hughs has been...
Baker County Sheriff’s Office has new phone system (OR)
Callers to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office will no longer be greeted by the voice of a dispatcher whose primary role is to field emergency 9-1-1 calls. Since Tuesday, Jan. 26, calls have been picked up by an automated answering system. The change is designed to...
Osten Spearheads Push for Workers’ Compensation to Include Mental Health, including 9-1-1 (CT)
State Sen. Cathy Osten, who worked for more than two decades as a corrections officer and lieutenant for the Department of Corrections, has spearheaded the fight for mental health coverage through workers’ compensation since she first entered the legislature in 2012,...
Tucson 911 system ‘critical but stable’ after top official resigns after just 14 months (AZ)
Tucson's troubled 911 system is in “critical but stable” condition after the sudden resignation of its top boss after a year on the job, the new interim leader said. Jamie O’Leary, director of the city’s Public Safety Communications Department that operates 911,...
CalOES Insider Touts Progress With Next-Gen 9-1-1 (CA)
It’s been drilled into us since we were kids: When there’s an emergency, grab a phone and dial 9-1-1. Those three magic numbers ensure that first responders — including police officers, firefighters and paramedics — come to our rescue. Unfortunately, most 9-1-1...
Flagler County Public Safety Telecommunicator Selected as the Florida Sheriffs Association 2021 Dispatcher of the Year (FL)
The Florida Sheriffs Association is pleased to announce that Public Safety Telecommunicator Specialist McKenzie Davis of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been selected as the 2021 Dispatcher of the Year. Each year, this award is presented at the FSA Winter...
MVECC First in Nation to Implement ‘EmergencyLocate’ Technology (NJ)
NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ - Mountain Valley Emergency Communications Center (MVECC), the regional public safety answering point serving the communities of Summit, New Providence and Millburn, is the first public safety answering point in the country to opreationalize...
OAK LAWN’S 911 REGIONAL CENTER WILL RELOCATE (IL)
The Oak Lawn Village Board has approved plans by the Oak Lawn Regional Emergency Communications Center to relocate from Village Hall to a new site in the 9800 block of South Massasoit Avenue.A resolution regarding the future of the regional 911 center was approved at...
Caller As Customer
Once upon a time before I began my career in 911, I was a thriving, overly enthusiastic cashier with a popular grocery store chain based in the southeastern United States. Working at a store so renowned for its “premier customer service” and employees with “bright,...
How NIST Is Helping First Responders Stay Connected
Research focuses on ensuring first responder communication tools are designed to meet users’ operational needs. What do first responders do? It’s an easy question, and I used to think I knew the answer. Firefighters put out fires; police officers enforce the law;...
AT&T-FirstNet launches Band 14 HPUE, z-axis location
AT&T-FirstNet is now offering first responders vertical location capabilities in more than 100 markets, ahead of an April 2021 FCC deadline for having the technology in place to support 911 callers on mobile devices. The z-axis location information is one...
Amid security concerns, former police officer presents emergency app to House committee (MO)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — After the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, lawmakers have concerns about their ability to respond to a potential emergency within the Missouri statehouse. Guard911 aims to get the first officers on the scene faster than would normally...
Russell County Communications Director Deanise Howard Announces Retirement (KS)
Deanise Howard, Director of Russell County Communications, has announced her intent to retire in April 2021 after a 28-year career in public safety. Director Howard marked her 25th year with the City of Russell earlier this year, and at the time of her retirement, she...
911 dispatcher thwarts scam that surprised even police | News Break (ME)
FALMOUTH, Maine — Lee Ruby, a dispatcher with the Falmouth Police Department, gets more than a dozen calls a day from people, mostly elderly, who may have been the target of a scam. 'My grandson just called me and said he was in jail, he's stranded needs money,' said...
APCO Seeks Comments on Candidate National Standard
Alarm Monitoring Company to ECC CAD Automated Secure Alarm Protocol
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is seeking comments for the candidate American National Standards (ANS) Alarm Monitoring Company to Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).
The candidate standard revision includes renaming in the title of the co-SDOs from “APCO/CSAA” to “APCO/TMA”, a renaming of “Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)” to “Emergency Communications Center (ECC)”, and the introduction of schema version 3.4, including new data fields and message types available to the users of this standard and critical to the mission of public safety. An emphasis on address verification/synchronization between the alarm companies and the ECCs is included.
“The revision to the alarm exchange is a significant step in enabling a more interoperable data exchange between ECCs and the alarm industry,” said Margie Moulin, President of APCO International. “As more CAD and alarm automation providers take advantage of the ASAP program, the technical blueprint becomes increasingly important to the interface development process.”
The deadline for public review and comment on this candidate standard is March 15, 2021.
For questions regarding APCO Standards, please email [email protected] or contact the Standards/ACS Program Manager at (571) 289-7402. For more information on APCO standards activities, please visit our website.
APCO International® (www.apcointl.org)APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.
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.
PETITIONS
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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GRANTS
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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