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Unseen Workers in Prince George’s Critical in COVID-19 Fight (MD)
Doctors, nurses and other health care workers are seen as front-line heroes caring for thousands of people who contracted the coronavirus, but other essential workers are also continuing the daily grind behind the scenes. One such person is Donna Perkins, who’s...
Motorola Solution : ‘ Integrated “Safe Schools” Solution Enhances Student Safety
CHICAGO - April 29, 2020- Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) today announced Safe Schools, an integrated solution that combines video, data, analytics and voice to help schools secure their campus perimeter, control access to buildings, quickly communicate with...
City of Marion adds new employees to serve residential growth (IA)
MARION — Marion Public Safety 911 and the Marion Police Department will be adding several new employees next fiscal year, along with some other city departments, to better serve the fast-growing city. Positions approved for Marion’s Public Safety 911 and the Marion...
Solano board funds communications, emergency power projects and sets up new radio system (CA)
FAIRFIELD — Solano County supervisors allocated $107,165 to demolish the radio tower on the roof of the Criminal Justice Data Center and construct a new tower to support the regional radio public safety system. The board was told this is the final link to creating a...
HPD’s Liliana McFarland named Dispatcher of the Year (CA)
ANFORD — After 11 years with the Hanford Police Department, Liliana McFarland earned her biggest commendation to date. McFarland, a communications dispatcher for the HPD, was named the Dispatcher of the Year for her agency. “I’m thankful that they do see the work that...
How to use mass notification technology for COVID-19
As the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, daily life has shifted; more people are working from home, and formerly bustling cities are shut down while government takes measures to slow the spread. Amid these changes, public health and safety...
The EMS Today Show: The ‘True’ COVID-19 ‘1st’ First Responders
In this episode, JEMS Editor Emeritus A.J. Heightman interviews Dr. Jeff Clawson, Jerry Overton, Greg Scott, Brian Dale and Christopher Olola, PhD, from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) and the IAED Research, Standards, and Academics Division....
Arlington County Police Chief Farr Makes Deputy Chief Of Police Appointment (VA)
ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington County Police Chief M. Jay Farr is pleased to announce the appointment of Captain Adrienne Quigley to the position of Deputy Chief of Police, effective Sunday, May 10, 2020. Deputy Chief Quigley will assume command of the Systems Management...
Virginia 911 dispatcher battling cancer still in good spirits, sings COVID-19 song (VA)
MONTROSS, Va. (ABC7) — A short home video created by Tina and Steve Keene has gone viral in their small town of Montross, Virginia. They are doing their best during this quarantine and like to spend their time fishing at their property. [VIDEO]
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,...
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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