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Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for Project to Upgrade Ramsey County First Responder Radios

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $2,965,000 in funding for a project to upgrade Ramsey County first responder radios. This project, which Klobuchar and Smith worked to include, will help ensure emergency and public safety communications networks remain intact and keep residents and emergency responders safe. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “This project will make essential upgrades to Ramsey County’s first responder radios, ensuring they have the tools they need to keep our communities safe. With House passage, this project is one step closer to securing the new first responder radios,” said Klobuchar. “Every day, first responders in Ramsey County put their lives on the line to protect their communities,” said Smith. “They deserve to have updated, functioning equipment to help them do their jobs, but their radios are outdated and failing. This funding would replace these radios and replace power generators at radio towers, allowing first responders and public safety personnel to efficiently and effectively do their jobs.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state.
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AT&T CEO on outage: “We let down many”

“No matter the timing, one thing is clear—we let down many of our customers, including many of you and your families. For that, we apologize.” In the letter released on Sunday, Stankey noted that AT&T’s restoration efforts on Feb. 22 prioritized service on the...

Proposal could implement safer texting to dispatch (OH)

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — Lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse are continuing to listen to public testimony on the Safe and Reliable Texting Act, which would require specific technology that would ensure the texts Ohioans to send to dispatch are secure and encrypted.

2023 Key Enacted 911 Legislation

The legislation listed below includes key enactments related to the 911 system in 2023, such as administration, fees and funding, 911 telecommunicator reclassification and Next Generation 911 (NG911).   READ FULL ARTICLE

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FirstNet Coverage Workshops

Free & open to all agencies. Don’t miss it!

Public safety professionals, don’t miss this opportunity to assess and improve your communications capabilities. FirstNet Coverage Workshops help agencies prioritize coverage needs and explore practical solutions for incident response.

Workshops are free and open to all public safety agencies. Reserve your spot now and ensure your team is mission-ready.

Reauthorization SurveyMORE>

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 UpdatesMORE>

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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Public Sector GrantsMORE>

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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