Top Comm Center Headlines

News & Articles

COVID-19 Surveillance with Terry Peterson (WA)

[PODCAST] Terry Peterson, Deputy Director of Snohomish County 911, discusses his center’s implementation of Protocol 36: Pandemic/Epidemic/Outbreak (Surveillance or Triage), how things have changed for emergency dispatchers, and how they’re planning for the...

Four New Members Elected to Serve on NENA Board of Directors

Laurie Anderson, ENP elected 2nd Vice President; Cassie Lowery, ENP elected Southeastern Director; Bruce Romero, ENP elected Western Director; Karin Marquez, ENP elected Private Sector Director.
Today, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association announced that Laurie Anderson, ENP of the Charlotte County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, Cassie Lowery, ENP of Rutherford County (TN) Emergency Communications, Bruce Romero, ENP of the Arapahoe County (CO) E911 Emergency Communications Service Authority, and Karin Marquez, ENP of RapidSOS have been elected by the organizations? membership to serve on its Board of Directors and help lead the association?s mission to improve 9-1-1 through research, standards development, training, education, outreach, and advocacy.
Anderson, who will ascend to 1st Vice President in 2021 and then association President in 2022, has been a public-safety professional for nearly three decades. Active on both the local and national levels, she is a past president of the Florida NENA chapter and currently serves on the state?s E911 Board as an At-Large Representative. She sits on NENA?s Education Advisory Board and is a founding Co-Chair of the association?s Wellness Committee.
Lowery, who will represent NENA members from the Southeastern Region on the board, has worked in the 9-1-1 industry for twenty-five years and has volunteered at both the county and state level on multiple boards and committees. She served as Secretary for the Tennessee NENA board for six years and currently serves as Chair of the Financial Study Committee for the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board.
Romero, who will represent NENA members from the Western Region on the board, has worked in 9-1-1 since 1988. In 2015, he was elected 2nd Vice President of Colorado NENA/APCO and completed his term as Immediate Past President in 2019. He has served as the NENA Bylaws Committee Chair since 2018. He is the Vice Chair of the Colorado PUC ESInet Users? Group and Treasurer of the Colorado 9-1-1 Training Standards Institute.
Marquez, a two-decade-plus veteran of 9-1-1, will represent NENA?s private-sector members on the board. Beginning her tenure in public-safety as a dispatcher and having spent the majority of her career working in the PSAP before joining RapidSOS, she brings a wealth of operations- and technical-knowledge to her board position.
Anderson, Lowery, Romero, Marquez, and six other Board of Directors members will be sworn in this June: President Gary Bell, ENP; 1st Vice President, Jennifer White, ENP; Immediate Past President, Monica Million, ENP; Northeastern Director, Erin Malloy, ENP; North Central Director, Daryl Ostendorf, ENP; and Canadian Director, Holly Barkwell, ENP.

NG9-1-1 Interoperability Commission Welcomes Flaherty, Furth to Advisory Slots

The NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (NIOC) is pleased to announce that Laurie Flaherty, Coordinator for the National 911 Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and David Furth, Deputy Chief of the Federal Communications Commission?s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, have been confirmed by the NENA Board to fill two non-voting seats on the NIOC. In this role, they will serve as liaisons between NIOC and the federal government?s 9-1-1 policy coordination and telecommunications regulatory functions, respectively.
?David Furth and Laurie Flaherty will deliver even more expertise and vision to the outstanding team already assembled on the commission,? says NIOC Chair Rick Blackwell, ENP, E9-1-1 Director for Greenville County, South Carolina. ?I join with the rest of the NIOC commissioners in welcoming the incredible strengths that David and Laurie will contribute to our collective effort.?
Though NIOC bylaws allow the non-voting members to introduce new business, per federal guidelines they will not participate in voting or other decision-making activities.

Pandemic response surfaces security gaps

The changes to government security practices wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic are unlikely to dissipate when the virus does, current and former government officials said during a recent webinar. Because public-safety data is usually highly sensitive, officials have...

Minnesota 9-1-1 dispatch centers report fewer calls (MN)

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Minnesota 9-1-1 dispatch centers seeing a 22 percent decrease in calls during the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s according to the state’s Emergency Communication division. In 2019, Minnesota dispatch centers received nearly 56,000 calls for the...

Organizing chaos is what Hargrove does best (AR)

A day in the life of a dispatcher is ever-changing. But, people like Kylie Hargrove enjoy organizing the chaos. The Greenbrier resident and mother of two lives to serve others and acts as a lifeline between those in distress and the help they need. A dispatcher’s role...

Recognizing Jasper County telecommunications (IA)

When making emergency calls, the Jasper County Dispatchers are on the front line of gathering information and getting it to officers to respond to critical services for those in need. In April, telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are honored...

Communications board approves new phone system (TN)

The Putnam County Emergency Communications District is moving forward with its new admin phone system. Putnam County 911 Director Penny Foister said the district received a $60,996 quote from Twin Lakes for the new Mitel phone system Wednesday afternoon....

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

Subscribe to Comm Center News

Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.

PARTNERS

Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates

Share Your Story

Join our community to share your experience and connect and collaborate with colleagues.

Join Our Newsletter

Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.

* indicates required

Follow Us

Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.