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Oakland County public safety pros ‘honored’ to help at field hospital (MI)
Three public safety professionals from Oakland County were among those called to help at the TCF Center’s temporary medical care facility in Detroit, set up for the COVID-19 outbreak. Matt Weil, Ken Kiley and Kevin Humphreys are part of the Oakland County...
Spokane’s new 911 center promised faster response times. Right now, it’s not even tracking them (WA)
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — For any 911 call center, every second counts. A speedy response could be the difference between life and death. And with most of the country in a state of emergency, first responders are more critical now than ever. In Spokane County,...
Metro Department of Emergency Communications changes dispatch system following Sunday’s storm (TN)
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — We have an update to a story we shared with you Wednesday after Wilson County dispatch received a number of calls from people in Davidson County during Sunday’s deadly storm. Many complained that both emergency lines and non-emergency...
New Jersey law enforcement seeing uptick in 9-1-1 calls during pandemic (NJ)
The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is reporting a rise in the amount of 911 medical calls being made during the Covid-19 pandemic but EMS calls are seeing a decline. The NJ-OEM said that the other 109 PSAP’s reported their call volume being much...
Procession held for Broward Sheriff’s Office dispatcher who died from coronavirus
Nikima Thompson died Monday after a long battle with the coronavirus. Thompson who lived in Boca Raton, worked as a dispatcher for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, Thompson is the first police dispatcher to...
Emergency communications predictions for a post-COVID world
The past year has brought more innovation, technology, and open lines of communication to public safety than ever before. We have seen the NextGen911 initiative gain traction and some states deploy emergency communications technologies in every public school. However,...
Drive-By Baby Shower: 911 Dispatcher Gets Surprise From Family, Friends During Pandemic (NY)
Friends and family of an NYPD dispatcher surprised her with a drive-by baby shower at her home in Brooklyn on Saturday. Amina Piprawala and her boyfriend are expecting their first child, a baby boy, on June 2. She said she didn’t expect to have a baby shower this...
Morgan County welcomes state of the art 911 Center (WV)
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. (WDVM)– The old Morgan County Sheriff’s station is getting renovated to a new state of the art 911 Emergency Communication Center. “We realized we had a critical, and I mean critical need in Morgan County for a new Emergency Communications...
Editorial: Calling 9-1-1 should be a step toward safety, not danger (VA)
When the 1918 influenza pandemic swept across Virginia, communication tools and emergency services naturally were primitive compared to today. Fifty years later, the first U.S. 9-1-1 call was made in Alabama. Despite the growth of cellphones, the availability...
City approves grant applications for 911 center, downtown art murals (KY)
The City of Owensboro approved municipal orders Tuesday to apply for a grant that would go toward a new console for 911 dispatchers, as well as a grant that will fund public art mural downtown. The $130,000 competitive grant for console furniture for 911 dispatchers...
Statewide 911 Board Gives Over $1M For Public Safety Telecommunicator Training (IN)
(INDIANAPOLIS) — Over the last 2 years, the Statewide 911 Board has covered more than $1M in training costs for Indiana PSAPs (Public Service Answering Point) for their 911 Telecommunication staff. Providing training has been extremely relevant to...
Public safety briefs: 911 texting service coming to SC County (AZ)
Within two weeks, local residents will be able to text the county’s two 911 dispatch centers to report emergencies, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said. The Text-to-911 service is set to go into effect on Monday, May 18, allowing residents and visitors to text...
Frederick County 911 call center takes steps to protect call-takers, dispatchers (MD)
For 911 call-takers and dispatchers, working from home isn’t an option during the pandemic, so call center managers are doing what they can to keep employees safe and healthy. Taking a cue from grocery stores and other retail businesses, supervisors and managers at...
Tomball dispatcher, firefighters save man from burning home (TX)
Tomball firefighters were able to pull a man out of a window Monday night as his garage apartment was engulfed in flames, saving his life, a Tomball Fire Department news release stated. Tomball Fire Chief Randy Parr said the successful outcome of the incident was due...
Broward Sheriff comments on death of 911 dispatcher from coronavirus
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony announced the death of public safety communications operator Nikima Thompson from COVID-19. [Video]
Robertson 911 Dispatch Call Center Names New Director (TN)
ROBERTSON COUNTY: (Smokey Barn News) – Following the resignation of Hope Petersen back in January, (full story) the Robertson County 911 Dispatch Center in Springfield has named a new Director. Peterson joined the 911 call center as the director back...
Cincinnati 911 dispatcher is suspended for refusing to send help for man having fatal stroke (OH)
An emergency services dispatcher in Cincinnati has been suspended after being accused of failing to send help for a man suffering a stroke that proved fatal. The shocking incident was revealed this week in a letter by Cincinnati City Manager Patrick A. Duhaney,...
Texas Eastern gives $30k to sheriff’s office, HCSO applies for coronavirus related grants (TX)
Texas Eastern 911 Network gifted the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department with a $30,000 donation, which was accepted by the Harrison County Commissioners Court this week. The agency is the 9-1-1 emergency communications service the county uses, County Judge Chad Sims...
Partial 9-1-1 outage in Galva area of Henry County (IL)
GALVA, Ill. — Henry County Sheriff's Office officials say that due to outages at Frontier Communications, many residents in the Galva area may not be able to reach 9-1-1 on their house lines. The partial outage mean that some Galva residents may not be able to reach...
911 dispatcher honored for helping hiker who collapsed (NH)
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A 911 dispatcher who provided CPR instructions for over an hour to a woman whose husband had a medical emergency while hiking in the White Mountains has been honored as a Dispatcher of the Year. Bethany Drew has been with New Hampshire’s Division...
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.
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
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