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911 dispatcher thwarts scam that surprised even police (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...
Emotions run high as Ripon Common Council tables decision on moving dispatch center to Fond du Lac County (WI)
The Ripon Common Council put the decision of whether to transfer the city’s dispatch center to Fond du Lac County on hold Monday night during an emotion-filled meeting. After seven members of the Ripon Guardian Ambulance Service spoke during the public communications...
Luzerne County 911 staffing shortages hurting morale, agency head says (PA)
A staffing shortage is taking a toll at Luzerne County 911, according to county Executive Director Fred Rosencrans. “Are we having morale issues? Absolutely. I don’t see any way to fix it anytime soon. We’re doing the best we can and trying to work with the staff the...
Emergency Management to use state tower (MI)
Bessemer — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution for a license agreement with the state of Michigan to place emergency management communications equipment on state towers. The Michigan Public Safety Communications Systems...
Wireless Emergency Alert System to be used for COVID-19 Messaging (PA)
Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Wolf Administration will begin using the national Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to provide important public messages about the COVID-19 pandemic. WEA is a national public safety system that allows customers who own compatible...
Delta County Commissioners Pass Resolution to Recognize Delta County 911 Dispatchers as First Responders (CO)
The Delta County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, October 21, 2020; the Delta County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to pass resolution 2020-R-026, to elevate Delta County 911 Dispatchers to the status of First Responders in...
Task Force releases final recommendations to Reimagine Public Safety in Richmond (VA)
A 38-member task force created by Mayor Levar Stoney in July after months of ongoing demonstrations calling for police accountability and a racial reckoning has delivered its final recommendations to “reimagine public safety.” The 15 recommendations include...
NENA: Brian Rosen updates NG911 standards progress for Version 3 of i3
Brian Rosen, co-chair of the NENA i3 Architecture Group, provides a status update for Version 3 of the NENA i3 standard for next-generation 911 (NG911), which is entering its second public review and comment phase and could be finalized as early as March 2021. Version...
Sheriff’s Office dispatchers transition into new role (GA)
As the Coweta County Sheriff continues to face the demands of a growing county, all dispatch duties will now shift entirely to Coweta 911. The idea to migrate the calls to 911 exclusively has been discussed for several years but it is finally becoming a reality. In...
FCC denies ZTE request to reverse national security threat designation
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday formally denied the request by Chinese telecommunications group ZTE to remove the agency’s designation of the company as a national security threat. The denial comes months after the FCC formally designated...
Norm Spackman replaces Dale Neff at 9-1-1 Center (PA)
BELLEFONTE — There’s going to be a change at the top of Emergency Communications in Centre County. At Tuesday’s Centre County Salary Board meeting, it was announced that longtime director Dale Neff is retiring at the end of the calendar year. Following a search, it...
City budget cuts police funding, boosts public safety alternatives and homelessness services (WA)
The Seattle City Council’s final $6.5 billion dollar 2021 budget cuts the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and other departments, allocates millions of dollars for community-based alternatives to public safety, replaces the Navigation Team, and expands tiny house...
OUC publicly apologizes five months after botched 911 call ends in death (DC)
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The Office of Unified Communications publically apologized to a D.C. mother on Tuesday, some five months after a D.C. dispatcher sent crews to the wrong address, delaying the 9-1-1 response time to a cardiac arrest emergency. Sheila Shepperd,...
911 dispatchers discuss protocol for answering COVID-19 patients (TX)
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Throughout the pandemic, first responders have been quick to help those who have contracted COVID-19. On some of those calls, people are suffering from worsening symptoms of the virus too. Dispatch Communications Supervisor Carla Turner...
Capital Fire ready to bail on public safety authority (VT)
MONTPELIER — The Capital Fire Mutual Aid System is getting ready to withdraw from the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority even as some of its members attempt to persuade city councils and select boards around the region to invest in upgrading the area’s aging...
Denton Police Department Launches Text Updates for 911 Callers (TX)
The Denton Police Department is launching text updates for 911 callers. According to the Denton Police Department, text messages powered by the SPIDR Tech platform will be automatically sent in English and Spanish when certain incidents are reported by mobile phone to...
County attempts to improve emergency communications
DAVIDSON COUNTY — New software could soon allow 911 calls in Davidson County to be processed more efficiently, reducing response times, according to county officials. The Davidson County Board of Commissioners gave staff the go-ahead earlier this month to negotiate a...
Widow of Chicago 911 dispatcher who died of COVID-19 now hospitalized in ICU on ventilator, son says
By Eric HorngTuesday, November 24, 2020 7:43PMCHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago 911 dispatcher died from COVID-19 earlier this month, and now his wife is seriously sick with the same disease. For the Lopez family of Archer Heights, the last few weeks have been...
9-1-1 emergency: Battling stress in the communications center
2020 has been a challenging year. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, recent civil unrest and an increasingly hostile political environment, the challenges are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Many Americans are experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety...
Wayne Township Proposes to Spend $6.9 Million for 911 Upgrade
WAYNE, NJ – A bond ordinance was introduced at the last Town Council meeting for the township to issue $6,560,000 in bonds or notes for financing part of a total of $6,905,000 for “Next Generation 911 radio infrastructure and telephone upgrades for the Police...
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
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.
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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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