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Parish considers new 911 call center (LA)

West Monroe police officer Brittany LeJeune takes a phone call to the police department, speaking through a headset while facing four computer screens stacked like a wall above her. Sitting behind her in the same room, two 911 dispatchers receive emergency calls for a...

BCC exploring CARES Act options to buy three buildings (FL)

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The of County Commissioners is looking at the purchase of three buildings for $8.7 million. The county has been working to navigate the federal and state pathways of the CARES Act to get funding to local nonprofits, businesses and individuals....

V-COMM Continues Public Safety Wireless Work (NJ)

CRANBURY - V-COMM, a leading telecommunications engineering firm, was hired by Cape May County to continue the expansion of the county’s 700 megahertz (MHz) Project 25 (P25) system, in conjunction with New Jersey’s Public Safety Interoperable Communications...

Andrew Cafaldo | 911 Dispatcher & EMT | IDP Ep. #29 (NY)

This week we have Andrew Cafaldo, a 911 Dispatcher and Volunteer EMT in Ulster County NY. Andrew shares with us how he came to be in Emergency Services and what it is like to be on the other end of a 911 call or treating someone in need as an EMT. This was a great...

Kudos: Praising positives (KY)

DISPATCH EXCELLENCE. When an emergency happens, most of us reach for the nearest phone. On the other end of that 911 lifeline is a dispatcher. As the first line in any emergency response team, these trained communicators must extract information from the frantic...

First responders getting wireless boost (PA)

HYNDMAN — First responders in Hyndman are getting a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of a new, purpose-built FirstNet cell site that AT&T turned on last week. The new site, announced in July 2018, is a part of the FirstNet network...

Longtime 911 Dispatcher Norman Pilkerton Passes Away (MD)

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office regrets to share the news that Norman Alexander Pilkerton Jr. passed away on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at the age of 81. Pilkerton worked for the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office as a 911 emergency dispatcher for 34...

Tuscaloosa residents can now text 9-1-1 in emergencies (AL)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - People in Tuscaloosa County now have another way to alert 9-1-1 that there’s an emergency. Rod Coleman, Tuscaloosa County’s 9-1-1 Director told WBRC that dispatchers are using technology allowing people to text 9-1-1 for emergencies and not...

NENA Cancels In-Person NG9-1-1 Standards & Best Practices and 9-1-1 Goes to Washington Conferences

NENA announced today that it has cancelled its upcoming in-person events ? the NG9-1-1 Standards & Best Practices Conference (originally planned for January ?21) and 9-1-1 Goes to Washington (originally planned for February ?21) ? due to the ongoing public-health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. NENA is exploring the possibility of hosting a virtual 9-1-1 Goes to Washington in February of 2021 and looks forward to resuming the in-person Standards & Best Practices Conference in January of 2022.

Berrien County Names Dispatcher Of The Year (MI)

Berrien County’s 911 Telecommunicator of the Year is Melissa Hensley. During a meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week, Hensley received the honor with the 911 Advisory Board’s Jack Fisher saying she helped save a life by staying calm during 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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