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‘We should have answers’: Nebraska senators dialing up legislation after 911 outages
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska senators are ready to dial up new legislation after statewide 911 outages downed phone lines for operators at call centers. Over the past three to four months, the Nebraska Public Service Commission says it has sought to determine the cause...
Hundreds of Oakland 911 dispatcher applications were ignored (CA)
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – KRON4 learned Wednesday that major missteps kept hundreds of dispatching jobs unfilled in Oakland. A deep dive into the city’s hiring process revealed hundreds of applications were ignored for an entire year. READ FULL ARTICLE
911 dispatcher ID’d as woman killed in Darlington County shooting (SC)
DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - The Darlington County coroner identified a 21-year-old mother, who worked for the county as a 911 dispatcher, as the woman killed in a Wednesday night shooting.
Norfolk takes step to help address 911 dispatcher shortage – (VA)
The city of Norfolk was short 26 dispatchers as of Dec. 6. “It is more than normal, but unfortunately it is par for the course with the time that we’re seeing," Redick explained. "Not only regionally, but nationally."
Navajo Nation to Boost Broadband Connectivity Using NTIA TBCP Grant
At about 27,000 square miles covering parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, the Navajo Nation is one of the largest native reservations in the United States. Approximately 180,000 Navajo (out of a total population of 400,000) live on Diné Bikéyah, or Navajoland....
Emergency legislation allows retired firefighters, police officers to work for DC’s 911 call center
The D.C. Council unanimously passed emergency legislation Tuesday that could help solve an ongoing staffing shortage at the 911 call center. The bill, which had nine cosponsors, allows retired firefighters and police officers to work as call takers and dispatchers...
Board recommends 3rd-party audit into 911 response after deadly apartment fire (KS)
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - An independent review appears to be the next step after an Oct. 13 fire at the Brookhollow Apartments in east Wichita. On Tuesday, the advisory board for Sedgwick County 911 determined the scope and selection process for a third-party...
Family of woman killed in fire calls for changes to 911 dispatch (KS)
Nov. 30—The family of Paoly Bedeski, a 22-year-old woman killed in a Wichita apartment fire last month, is calling for changes in the way Sedgwick County 911 handles emergency calls after a series of failures by call takers and dispatchers "cost Paoly her life."...
New Bill Would Reduce Responsibilities Of D.C.’s Embattled 911 Agency
A new D.C. Council bill would transfer some 911 dispatching responsibilities away from the troubled Office of Unified Communications and back to the D.C. fire department. The bill, which Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau unveiled Tuesday, was announced along with...
NG911 supporter Eshoo announces she will not seek reelection to Congress in 2024
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), a longtime supporter of federal funding to help public-safety answering points (PSAPs) transition to next-generation 911 (NG911) technology, last week announced that she will not seek reelection to Congress in 2024 but plans to serve out...
Saving lives one text at a time
ST. PAUL — It was the type of call that makes a 911 public safety telecommunicator’s (PST) heart drop; a relative was calling 911 out of concern for their loved one. In this case, a sister was trying to get urgent medical attention for her brother. The problem? She...
Judge dismisses charges against Greene 911 supervisors accused of obstructing … (PA)
A judge has dismissed all charges against three Greene County emergency officials accused of obstructing the investigation into a 911 dispatcher who refused to send an ambulance to a dying woman.
Dispatcher surprised with tearful sendoff on last day after nearly 40 years of service
The only remaining original Ottawa County dispatcher planned to quietly retire after nearly 40 years. But her loved ones had their own plan. READ FULL ARTICLE
13-year-old receives award for bravery from Hubbard County emergency personnel (MN)
HUBBARD COUNTY — A 13-year-old girl has received an award from Hubbard County emergency personnel for her bravery after her mother suffered a medical emergency while driving on Sept. 28, along State Highway 200 near Kabekona. According to a release from Hubbard County...
On a tragic day in Fontana, police dispatchers stayed calm amid the chaos (CA)
Not only was there a deadly officer-involved shooting on a golf course, but there were also two other terrible incidents in which persons died after being struck by cars that day. But through it all, the Fontana Police Department’s dispatch team remained calm,...
New software will allow victims to livestream with Salem PD (IL)
SALEM — Salem police have announced the launch of the Prepared Live app in their dispatch center. The app will enable their 9-1-1 team to live stream and receive other information from mobile callers in real-time.
California aims to complete NG911 migration statewide by December 2024
All public-safety answering point (PSAPs) in the state of California will complete the transition from legacy 911 technology to an IP-based next-generation 911 (NG911) platform by the end of next year, if the new target schedule for the migration is realized. READ...
911 Emergency Dispatch leaving Clear Creek County, switching to Jeffcom911 (CO)
The Jefferson County Communications Center Authority Board of Directors recently agreed to provide emergency communications services for neighboring Clear Creek County.
911 call center says its misidentified crossing before derailment of Chicago-bound Amtrak train (MI)
NEW BUFFALO, Mich. (AP) — A 911 call center on Monday took some responsibility for an Amtrak train derailment last week in southwestern Michigan, saying it misidentified a crossing and contacted a different railroad to warn that a car was stuck on tracks.
Carjacking witness told by dispatcher ‘police wouldn’t be responding’ (WI)
An older Milwaukee woman says she was outraged after calling 9 1 1 to report carjacking and was told there would be no police response
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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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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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