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Nevada County BOS recognizes Nancy Picker, CAL FIRE Dispatcher, upon her retirement after 46 years in public service (CA)
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. April 28, 2020 – The Nevada County Board of Supervisors recognized Nancy Picker, a CAL FIRE NEU dispatcher whose last shift will be tomorrow – after 46 years of service to the community. The certificate listed some of Nancy’s accomplishments, but...
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...
Measure 6-178 Local option tax for failing 911 radio communications system (OR)
In the upcoming May election, you will see on your ballot a county wide public safety measure: Measure 6-178 Local option tax for failing 911 radio communications system. Public Safety agencies in Coos County have been relying on a radio system which is at end...
Director of Public Safety Ron Sams steps down from post (AL)
Ron Sams, Montgomery's director of public safety, has resigned from his position, according to a news release. Sams, who was hired by the city in 2010 as the director of city investigations was named the director of public safety by former Mayor Todd Strange in...
Mayo Clinic opens 2nd dispatch center to prepare for COVID-19 (MN)
(ABC 6 News) -- Before health care workers on the front lines can give care to patients, COVID-19 related, or otherwise, there are a handful of gatekeepers playing a vital role to keep the system going. “Our emergency medical dispatchers are often the very first voice...
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.
Alleged homophobe Sandra Spagnoli is out as Beverly Hills Police Chief (CA)
It took four years and millions of dollars but finally the City of Beverly Hills is parting ways with Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli. [...]At least 21 current and former BHPD department [including dispatch] employees, however, were unsatisfied and filed civil lawsuits...
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...
Murfreesboro Communications Supervisor and Communications Training Officer named co-Public Safety Telecommunicator of the Year (TN)
Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Murfreesboro Emergency Communications Center Communications Supervisor Tiffany Matthews and Communications Training Officer Brady Lutton have been named co-Public Safety Telecommunicator of the Year for their hard work and selfless actions....
Sheriff’s office notes National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (ID)
The week is designated to recognize them for all that they do in their vital role in helping ensure the public are safe, but also for looking out for Law Enforcement Officers, Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical personnel and the many other persons whom they dispatch,...
Clackamas Becomes First County in Oregon to Recognize 911 Dispatchers as First Responders (OR)
Perhaps one of the few good things to come out of the Covid-19 crisis is the spotlight it has shone on the nation’s essential workers, from doctors and nurses to grocery clerks to first responders, and more. People generally understand “first responder” to be an...
Hennepin County dispatchers adjust their workflow around the pandemic (MN)
Inside the Hennepin County Dispatch Center, the workflow is much different these days. New questions, such as "Do you have any flu-like symptoms?" have become part of the routine for 911 dispatchers like Cindy Galland. "I have never seen anything like this," Galland...
ACLU Says Telling First Responders If People Have Virus Puts Responders At Risk
Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order on Aprail 10 that forced the state health department to provide addresses of people infected with coronavirus to first responders. Armed with that information, emergency dispatchers can tell...
ATECC LIVE – Considerations when building a Public Safety Communications Center
Having recently been in charge of building a new public safety communications center, Willis Carter offers insight on lessens learned and suggestions for building one in the current COVID-19 environment
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....
Jack Daniel Distillery donates hand sanitizer to the communications center (TN)
Jack Daniel Distillery donated hand sanitizers to the Coffee County 911 Communications Center. To battle the supply shortage of hand sanitizer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jack Daniel Distillery began manufacturing the product, and the company has been donating hand...
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.
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Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
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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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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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