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Consortium Researches 911 Communications Interoperability
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute will develop a framework and process for testing the interoperability and compatibility of Next-Generation 911 (NG911) systems. The work could improve streaming video from emergency...
911, EMA settling into a much-needed new home (KY)
Jefferson County 911 and Emergency Management have spent the past year responding to their own emergency: creating enough office space to do their jobs to the fullest of their abilities. Dispatch spent the month of July settling into its new home at the Jefferson...
County feels ‘in the dark’ on new 911 call center project cost (SD)
Minnehaha County Commissioners say they were left "in the dark" about the projected price tag for their portion of a proposed 911 dispatch center and training facility for local law enforcement and firefighters. At last week's joint city and county meeting,...
Public Safety Leaders Unveil New Alliance to Protect Public Safety 4.9GHZ Spectrum
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Public Safety Leaders Unveil New Alliance to Protect Public Safety 4.9GHZ Spectrum The Public Safety Broadband Technology Association announce the formation of a new alliance with the goal of protecting 4.9GHz spectrum for...
FirstNet will make a “difference between life and death” for Makah Tribe
By Adam Geisler, National Tribal Government Liaison (Regions IX-X), First Responder Network Authority
At the tip of Northwest Washington State and south of the Canadian Border lies Neah Bay, a remote peninsula that is home to the Makah Tribe Reservation. The tribe’s unique location means that their culture and customs revolve around the ocean. It also means that the tribe contends with many water-related emergencies, such as drownings, rip currents that sweep people into the ocean, and a looming tsunami threat. For the Makah Reservation’s first responders who patrol the 1,100 square miles of rugged land and surrounding sea, resilient and reliable communications are essential. READ MORE
Lewis County Now Offering Text-to-911 (WA)
Lewis County announced this week that its 911 call center will now accept texts. According to the county’s 911 center, text to 911 can help citizens who are unable to call 911 without being in further danger; can help those who are hearing or speech impaired or...
9-1-1 call center acquiring Geographic Information System to assist first responders (IL)
Big changes are coming to the Edgar County Emergency Telephone System Call Center as the county’s 911 system moves to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), according to Nanette Crippes, the county’s 911 director. The estimated $300,000 project — which includes new equipment...
When Seeley Lake calls 9-1-1 (MT)
SEELEY LAKE – As of Tuesday, July 21, Missoula Emergency Services Incorporated (MESI) and Life Flight Network will no longer automatically respond when an Advanced Life Support (ALS) call is dispatched in the Seeley Lake Fire District. Instead, MESI will respond as...
The 9-1-1 millage proposal in Kalamazoo County explained (MI)
To better help explain the proposal to voters, Executive Director for the Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch Authority Jeff Troyer recently spoke with WKZO to clarify what the millage proposal will do. "Voters will be asked to consider a 9-1-1 millage that is...
DHS S&T, DOT Select University of Illinois-Led Consortium to Research Interoperability for 911 …
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DoT), has selected the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI), a DHS Center of Excellence led by the University...
Storm safety: Sign up for Wilton emergency communications (CT)
The Wilton Police Department is reminding residents how the town will communicate with the community during emergency management situations. The first line of communication is through the Town’s E-Alert system facilitated through the town of Wilton website. The...
Increase in misdialed 9-1-1 calls may be caused by smartphones and smartwatches (ME)
An estimated 240 million emergency 9-1-1 calls are made from phones in the United States each year, with least 80 percent originating from wireless devices, according to the National Emergency Number Association. Among those calls are an increasingly unhealthy number...
NJ Legislature Passes Senator Gill’s Bill Establishing Crime of False 9-1-1 Call as Bias Intimidation (NJ)
MONTCLAIR – On July 30th, The New Jersey Senate unanimously passed S-2635, sponsored by Senator Nia Gill, which includes false incrimination and filing a false police report as a form of bias intimidation and establishes the crime of a false 9-1-1 call with the...
Virginia 911 dispatcher battling cancer still in good spirits, sings COVID-19 song (VA)
MONTROSS, Va. (ABC7) — A short home video created by Tina and Steve Keene has gone viral in their small town of Montross, Virginia. They are doing their best during this quarantine and like to spend their time fishing at their property. Keene sings, “Sitting on...
Emergency response staff recognized for efforts to save life of 9-year-old boy (MN)
Two months after a May 24 accident where a young boy who was hit with a boat propeller swimming in Round Lake near Randall, Sheriff Shawn Larsen recognized all those involved in saving the boy’s life. “Basically Dalton, age 9, was run over by a boat propeller and he...
Dallas dispatchers answer call for help, donate groceries to senior citizen without food (TX)
DALLAS - A group of Dallas dispatchers banded together to help a senior citizen who called 911 for help because she didn’t have anything to eat. Dallas police say Valencia Crowder, a 911 dispatcher, received a call in late March from a senior citizen. The woman said...
Scott County E911 Communications Center awarded $250000 grant (MO)
SCOTT COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) - The Scott County E911 Communications Center has been awarded a $250,000 grant through the Missouri 911 Service Board. The grant, along with other funds, will help Scott County 911 upgrade equipment, software, and other assets valuable to...
City of Springfield, Clark County to combine 9-1-1 dispatch centers (OH)
The City of Springfield and Clark County 9-1-1 dispatch centers will move toward combining in an effort to improve emergency services in the community. >> Can Trump postpone or delay the election in November? Springfield City Commissioners voted unanimously...
Tennessee to test cybersecurity of its next-generation 911 systems (TN)
Tennessee, one of the states furthest along in adopting next-generation 911 technology, has hired a consulting firm to evaluate the cybersecurity preparedness of the state’s emergency call centers. The company, Mission Critical Partners, said Wednesday that it will...
President’s Channel: Stepping Into the Role of Presidency: Thank You APCO Members!
By Margie Moulin, APCO President
As I step into the role of APCO International President, I feel extremely honored at the chance to serve the membership of this great association. I would like to start my term by thanking all our members for this opportunity, and for the work that each of you has done throughout the challenges of 2020.
Since last year’s conference, we have seen challenges unlike any other year. While many people were forced to stay home, those of us in the ECC, as essential workers, continued to work to serve our communities, while also dealing with the same concerns and stressors everyone else was experiencing. Regardless of the position within public safety telecommunications, human resources, finance, information technology, management, data analysis, telecommuncations specialist, or any other role within the center, you were impacted both professionally and personally. As is the habit of those of us in an ECC, you continue to take care of everyone else through times like no other in our lifetimes. My hope is that you are taking time to care for yourselves as well. All too often, our own wellness is pushed aside while we care for total strangers.
Because of this, I am sharing with you the creation of a new APCO committee designed to expand our focus on wellness in the ECC.
In 2018, under the leadership of APCO President Holly Wayt, the ECC Crisis Response Task Force was established to create a best practices resource to guide ECC’s responses during, and after a prolonged, or large-scale emergency event.
With Jay Somerville as the Chair and Maureen Will as Vice Chair, the mission of this task force was to create a structure to assist ECC leaders with preparation for high impact, prolonged, or large-scale emergency events that place a significant strain on staff members. Within this document, you will see a quote highlighted stating “taking care of those who staff our ECCs so they can take care of our communities is paramount.”
Today, we are announcing the creation of the APCO Health and Wellness Committee, chaired by Captain Jeremy Hill. This committee will take the philosophy of caring for our ECC personnel to the next level, providing the best tools to support the people working in centers across the nation every minute of every day. I am confident this committee will offer new insights and options to improve health and wellness in the ECC.
In addition to this effort, we are adding a task force to look at opportunities to partner with our veterans and military spouses. A recent survey found that a quarter of military spouses are unemployed, and a 2018 White House report stated that military spouses are unemployed at 2-3 times the rate of the overall U.S. population.
We recognize that ECC’s struggle with recruitment and retention. Knowing this, and the sacrifices military families make, this new task force will work to identify and evaluate options to align ECC staffing shortages with unemployed military spouses. This may provide solutions to some of our ECC staffing problems, while offering support to our military families.
Along with these efforts, your APCO leadership team is committed to continuing to provide complete public safety expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach, alongside the pursuit of the reclassification of our public safety telecommunicators as Protective Service Occupations.
In this association, none of us leads alone. The Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, APCO staff, the Executive Council Members, chapter presidents, group leaders, committee chairs and the entire membership of APCO, all lead this association together. It is with all of your help that I look forward to taking on the challenges this next year may bring.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, and thank you for your commitment to public safety communications.
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.
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