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Richland County commissioners OK additional $83,000 for 9-1-1 center relocation, upgrade (OH)
MANSFIELD -- Richland County commissioners on Tuesday approved up to an additional $83,000 for alterations to a project to upgrade, renovate and relocate aspects of the sheriff's department -- including the 9-1-1 dispatch center -- within the Peoples Community Center....
Hawkins Co. Public Safety Committee votes to spend up to $30,000 to fix failing 911 communications system (TN)
HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Hawkins county’s public safety committee took a long-awaited step to get the county back on track after a system failure where the towers linking the emergency communications system failed at the end of last year. That system is made up...
Awareness campaign aims to alleviate unnecessary fears about calling 9-1-1 in pandemic
As new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in 22 states and strain emergency departments nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) suggest ER visits in April were down 42% across the country compared to...
New NENA President Promises Strong Leadership in a Changing World
New NENA President Promises Strong Leadership in a Changing World
35 minutes ago (0 Comments)Posted by: Chris NussmanThe new president of America’s leading 9-1-1 organization brings decades of leadership and front-line experience to the role.
Gary Bell, ENP – Director of Emergency Preparedness for Waukesha County, Wisconsin – was sworn in on June 17 as President of NENA: The 9-1-1 Association’s Board of Directors. He now leads the organization’s nearly 16,000 members in efforts to improve 9-1-1 through research, standards development, training, education, outreach, and advocacy.
Watch the on-demand replay of the installation ceremony and President Bell’s remarks here.
After taking the oath of office, Mr. Bell promised that the organization would help the 9-1-1 community meet the challenges of the day. “We live in difficult times, and we must be nimble and responsive to our members and to the public we serve,” he said. “Recent events have shone a bright spotlight on the importance of 9-1-1 professionals.”
Further, Bell pledged to remain focused on the organization’s key initiatives and priorities, including standards development; training and certification; wellness and resiliency; and the classification of 9-1-1 as a protective-service occupation. “It is long overdue that 9-1-1 be recognized as the fourth public-safety discipline, alongside law enforcement, fire, and EMS,” he said.
A second-generation dispatcher, Bell has worked in 9-1-1 for nearly three decades. His public-safety career includes service as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator, communications training officer, supervisor, and manager. In his current position, he oversees communications, emergency management, and radio services for a populous county in southeast Wisconsin.
Prior to his election as Second Vice President in 2018 and subsequent ascension to First Vice President and now President, Bell served on the NENA board as North Central Region Director. He is a Past President of the Wisconsin chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) and previously served on the NENA Institute Board, the body charged with overseeing the Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification program.
In addition to Bell, nine other members of NENA’s Board of Directors were sworn in during the ceremony: Immediate Past President, Monica Million, ENP; Northeastern Director, Erin Malloy, ENP; Private Sector Director, Karin Marquez, ENP; Canadian Director, Holly Barkwell, ENP; Western Director, Bruce Romero, ENP; North Central Director, Daryl Ostendorf, ENP; Southeastern Director, Cassie Lowery, ENP; First Vice President, Jennifer White, ENP; and Second Vice President, Laurie Anderson, ENP.
‘Demanding answers’: FCC launching investigation after widespread T-Mobile outages, chairman says
T-Mobile customers across the United States reported network outages that rendered them unable to make phone calls or access the internet on Monday. Other wireless carriers said the outages were disrupting connections for their customers when they tried to call...
Sheriff’s employee suspended for Facebook posts (FL)
A civilian Alachua County sheriff’s employee has been suspended with pay and is under internal investigation because of some posts she made on Facebook. Ashley Mauger, who works in the Combined Communications Center, responded Monday night to two women who had posted...
City denies Police Department told not to respond to protesters (VA)
From the City of Fredericksburg: This weekend’s protest/demonstrations were supported by the City, and monitored by our Police Department. Officers worked to stage one block from the protests to help divert traffic while protesters exercised their First Amendment...
Legislation putting panic alarms in schools ready for Governor’s signature (FL)
Legislation requiring a mobile panic alert system in all public and charter schools is now ready for the Governor’s signature after being formally presented to Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday. The Legislature approved the measure in early March, just...
Delta County 9-1-1 millage levy hiked (MI)
ESCANABA — Delta County’s 911 Authority millage will be levied at its full rate of 0.75 mills ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value). The increase was approved by the Delta County Board of Commissioners during a meeting Tuesday. According to Delta County Central Dispatch...
St. Paul launching its own downtown improvement district [including a communications center] — with some big properties missing (MN)
Downtown business leaders in St. Paul are drafting plans for a downtown improvement district similar to the one used in Minneapolis, which features teams of on-the-street ambassadors and a public-safety communications center. But the way the district is drawn largely...
#LOCAL HEROES: Sweetwater County COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center (WY)
The Sweetwater County COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center was a prime example of banding together to help keep the people of Sweetwater County informed about the COVID-19 Coronavirus. In early March, Sweetwater County Public Health, Sweetwater County Health Officer...
Committee Advances Bill Making False 9-1-1 Calls & Police Reports Intended to Intimidate Others on Basis of Race a Crime (NJ)
(TRENTON) – In response to ongoing examples of people making false accusations against black Americans in an effort to threaten them, four Assembly Democrats sponsor a bill that would make it a crime to call 9-1-1, file a police report or incriminate someone under...
When panic set in, this 9-1-1 operator was a mother’s lifeline (WA)
MARYSVILLE, Wash. — It was almost bedtime when a strange noise told Nya Palek something was wrong. “It was a noise that caught my attention. I knew somebody needed my help in the house.” That ‘somebody’ was her son, 6’7” high school senior, Lul Palek. The otherwise...
911 dispatcher spoke to her supervisor about concerns over cops’ behavior at George Floyd arrest (MN)
A 911 dispatcher who watched George Floyd‘s arrest in real-time spoke to her supervisor over concerns regarding the four officers’ behavior at the scene. In audio released Monday the unidentified woman tells her boss: ‘I don’t know, you can call me a...
JCCD to create memorial following the passing of Records Clerk and TAC Douglas Butland (MO)
WARRENSBURG — Johnson County Central Dispatch lost a valued member of its team with the passing of Records Clerk and Terminal Agency Coordinator (TAC) Douglas Butland, 62, the morning of Monday, June 8. Butland was initially hired for a telecommunicator position at...
UMW announces creation of “Police Community Advisory Panel” (VA)
University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino has announced the creation of an advisory panel tasked with reviewing the campus police response to the May 31 protests in downtown Fredericksburg. “The UMW Officers were there to protect the Fredericksburg Police...
Stable Form Notices: Monitoring & Managing NG9-1-1 Info Doc | IoT & Apps Info Doc
1 hour ago (0 Comments)Posted by: Chris NussmanHaving adjudicated all comments, the NENA Managing & Monitoring NG9‑1‑1 Information Document is now considered “stable.” Per NENA IPR & Antitrust Policy, Section 4.5.1 “Stable Form Notice” is being issued and is shown below.4.5 Declarations during ReviewWhen any Deliverable is in stable form, but before it undergoes review by the NENA Process Review Committee, the Committee Resource Manager shall send a Stable Form Notice to all NENA Development Group participants giving notice of a deadline, at least thirty (30) days from the date of the announcement, by which all Patent Holders with respect to the Deliverable must submit a completed copy of the Licensing Declaration Form in Annex B to the Committee Resource Manager. All Stable Form Notices shall also be posted to the Committee Management Website.Once the 30 days have passed, the document will go to the Process Review Committee for approval.Stable Form NoticeBackgroundThe NENA Intellectual Property Rights (“IPR”) & Antitrust Policy, available at http://www.nena.org/IPR, requires Participants in NENA Committees to disclose certain Patent IPRs during the process of developing a Deliverable such as a Technical or Operations Standard Document (i.e., any Standard). After receiving this notice, all Patent Holders have 30 days in which to submit a Licensing Declaration Form.NoticeThe Deliverable listed below has reached stable form and will be submitted to the NENA Process Review Committee in 30 days. Any and all Participants who hold Patent IPRs which may be implicated by the Normative Requirements of this Deliverable must submit a Licensing Declaration Form to the Committee Resource Manager within that time.Deliverable InformationTitle: NENA Managing & Monitoring NG9‑1‑1 Information DocumentDocument Number: NENA-INF-040.1-2020URL: https://dev.nena.org/higherlogic/ws/public/document?document_id=19307&wg_id=a00974df-fbab-49b7-b015-e33f9f93dbe6Date of Notice: June 16, 2020Submission Deadline: July 17, 2020NENA Intellectual Property Rights Policy – Annex C – Stable Form NoticeHaving adjudicated all comments, the NENA Impact of IoT Devices and Emergency Calling Applications Information Document is now considered “stable.” Per NENA IPR & Antitrust Policy, Section 4.5.1 “Stable Form Notice” is being issued and is shown below.4.5 Declarations during ReviewWhen any Deliverable is in stable form, but before it undergoes review by the NENA Process Review Committee, the Committee Resource Manager shall send a Stable Form Notice to all NENA Development Group participants giving notice of a deadline, at least thirty (30) days from the date of the announcement, by which all Patent Holders with respect to the Deliverable must submit a completed copy of the Licensing Declaration Form in Annex B to the Committee Resource Manager. All Stable Form Notices shall also be posted to the Committee Management Website.Once the 30 days have passed, the document will go to the Process Review Committee for approval.Stable Form NoticeBackgroundThe NENA Intellectual Property Rights (“IPR”) & Antitrust Policy, available at http://www.nena.org/IPR, requires Participants in NENA Committees to disclose certain Patent IPRs during the process of developing a Deliverable such as a Technical or Operations Standard Document (i.e., any Standard). After receiving this notice, all Patent Holders have 30 days in which to submit a Licensing Declaration Form.NoticeThe Deliverable listed below has reached stable form and will be submitted to the NENA Process Review Committee in 30 days. Any and all Participants who hold Patent IPRs which may be implicated by the Normative Requirements of this Deliverable must submit a Licensing Declaration Form to the Committee Resource Manager within that time.Deliverable InformationTitle: NENA Impact of IoT Devices and Emergency Calling Applications Information DocumentDocument Number: NENA-INF-030.1-2020URL: https://dev.nena.org/higherlogic/ws/public/document?document_id=19309&wg_id=097528c0-b7bd-44b5-b23b-eff306f87919Date of Notice: June 16, 2020Submission Deadline: July 17, 2020NENA Intellectual Property Rights Policy – Annex C – Stable Form Notice
These 911 Emergency Dispatchers Are Ready to Defund the Police
For the past six and a half years, James, a military veteran in his thirties, has spent his days in a 911 call center on the East Coast, counseling strangers during some of the worst moments of their lives. “I like helping people and I’m good at what I do,” he told...
Several dispatchers recognized for life-saving calls (CO)
Bev Lindsay has learned to leave her work at the office because, after 37 years as a 911 dispatcher, she knows she can never get hung up on one phone call. Last week, however, she was finally able to reflect on some of the people she’s helped as she and several local...
911 Board schedules special meeting for Wednesday morning (MI)
COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County 911 Communications Board has scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday morning to discuss staffing and wages for 911 employees. Branch County 911 has had continuing problems over the last couple of years trying to maintain...
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.
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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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