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Cities considering suing county for breach of contract (NC)
ROCKINGHAM — The cities of Rockingham and Hamlet are considering filing a lawsuit against Richmond County for breach of contract based on the justification County Manager Bryan Land has given for the county’s change to an ad valorem sales tax distribution method....
E9-1-1 addresses downage rumor (MO)
Database corruption fixed on Wednesday, service never interrupted Barry County E9-1-1 has addressed community reports that its 9-1-1 service is or was down in Barry County, which is untrue. “Barry County E9-1-1 is up and working and there has been no disruption in...
911 issues resolved at Scotts Bluff County Communications Center (NE)
The Scotts Bluff County Communications Center has been advised that Verizon Wireless has identified the issue that affected services for 911 calls in this area. Those issues that affected Scotts Bluff County area have been resolved by Verizon Wireless, Scotts Bluff...
NENA Releases 2nd Report Detailing COVID-19's Impact on 9-1-1
NENA Releases 2nd Report Detailing COVID-19’s Impact on 9-1-1
Friday, May 8, 2020 (0 Comments)Posted by: Chris NussmanNENA is proud to publish How 9-1-1 Is Changing in a COVID-19 World, the second paper in NENA’s 9-1-1 & COVID-19 report series. These reports are designed to inform public-safety stakeholders, policymakers, and the public about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting 9-1-1 operations, technology, and personnel.
This report, based on 500 survey responses from 9-1-1 professionals across 44 states and territories, builds upon insights from our initial report published on April 3, 2020. For example, the first survey asked respondents whether overall call and dispatch volumes had changed, while this survey asked specifically which types of calls and dispatches had changed. The survey responses reflected in this report were collected from April 20 to 24, almost a month after our initial survey and well into nationwide efforts to stem the pandemic.
Survey access was provided to PSAP contacts using the NENA Enhanced PSAP Registry and Census (EPRC), a free service for public safety personnel that provides contact information for PSAPs during emergencies. See Appendix B for more information on the EPRC.
Reading police communications center to reopen Friday (PA)
READING, Pa. - The Reading Police Department's communications center will move back to City Hall on Friday. The center will open at 3 p.m., according to RPD officials, who said that anyone who needs to file a police report or discuss other business can do so by...
County Board approves 9-1-1 upgrade (WA)
The Kewaunee County 9-1-1 emergency dispatch service will get a long-overdue upgrade with the help of a federal grant. The County Board last week approved an $83,555.20 transfer to provide a 40% match for a $125,332.80 grant from the federally funded Wisconsin NextGen...
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...
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We welcome your insights on the experiences and operational challenges you encounter as a public safety professional. By participating in this FirstNet Authority survey, you’ll help shape future enhancements to ensure they meet the mission‑critical, real‑world needs of the public safety community. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
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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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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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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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