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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...

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...

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...

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;...

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.

9-1-1 service live in Fort Nelson (AK)

Residents in the Northern Rockies can now dial 9-1-1. The municipality said Wednesday that the emergency call service is now fully activated for mobile and landline phones after rigorous testing.  The establishment of 9-1-1 service in the Northern Rockies represents a...

UPCOMING EVENTREGISTER>

The Inaugural Howard C. Liebengood Foundation Symposium: The Evolving Law Enforcement Landscape & the First Responder Mental Health Crisis

Wednesday, September 30 to Thursday, October 1, 2026

Law enforcement is operating in one of the most demanding environments in modern history. Shifting public expectations, critical incidents, and ongoing organizational pressures have reshaped the profession, and the impact on officer health and agency stability has never been greater. This inaugural symposium convenes law enforcement leaders, mental health and health care experts, researchers, and bipartisan policymakers to explore practical, evidence-informed solutions. Grounded in research and lived experience, this symposium focuses on translating knowledge into action.

Over two days, participants will examine the evolving policing landscape, confront the profession’s mental health crisis—including elevated rates of suicide, PTSD, depression, and anxiety—and identify strategies to strengthen resilience, crisis response, and organizational leadership.

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

PSBTA UPDATES

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.


LISTEN TO PODCAST

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.


REGISTER

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