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News & Articles
Huron County’s Dispatchers work from behind the lines to save lives (MI)
HURON COUNTY — When someone calls for Huron County emergency services, they speak with a dispatcher located in their Bad Axe office to either talk them through a situation or call the police or fire department. Those people on the other end of the line go through a...
Wrentham turns to internet, phones to keep town operating
WRENTHAM -- Email, phones and the internet have become the mode of keeping the town’s operations going in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. In an effort to help slow the spread of the virus, “and to promote the practice of social distancing,” all of the...
DeKalb 911 Presents Telecommunicator Commendations
Two 911 Communicator shift partners of the DeKalb Emergency Communications District have been commended for their exemplary performance in handling an influx of emergency and non-emergency calls on a night of heavy rain and flooding last month. Stephanee Wright and...
Abused woman calls 911 to order pizza, dispatcher plays along to outplay her abuser
Tim Tenyeck’s day at work as a 911 dispatcher took a sudden turn when a women called with a weird question. She wanted to order pizza and he quickly realized that she must’ve dialed the wrong number. But the woman on the other side, Tiffany Urban, had done...
New Director Heston Silbert takes over Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZ)
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – The Arizona Department of Public Safety is now lead by Col. Heston Silbert. Officials with the department confirmed Thursday that Silbert has officially taken over in the role as director of DPS. The former director, Col. Frank Milstead will...
NCC facilitating Emergency Communications Centres across Nigeria – Prof Danbatta (Nigeria)
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has revealed that the commission has facilitated the establishment of the Emergency Communications Centres, ECCs, across the country. He said the...
911 telecommunicator becomes hero to local family (NC)
It is too easy to take 911 telecommunicators for granted because they are at the ready every day to assist people when an emergency arises, but that is not the case for Ridgeway residents Terry Simpson and Marie McGuire. They think of Warren County 911...
Key public-safety groups seek consensus for next-gen 911 direction, federal funding
Representatives from 12 key public-safety organizations met last week in an effort to develop a consensus position about next-generation 911 (NG911) that would encourage Congress to provide federal funds supporting a transition from legacy systems to an IP-based 911...
Village La Grange Enhances 9-1-1 Emergency Notifications Services (IL)
The Village is migrating away from the current Code Red emergency notification system, to Rave Alert / Smart911. Public Safety Officials strongly encourage residents and businesses to register for the no-cost service that issues emergency notifications, and provides...
Local dispatchers named Red Cross 911 Heroes for coming together to bring woman home safely (VA)
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County’s emergency communications center is inundated with calls on a daily basis. When the phone rings, dispatchers kick into high gear. “We mold together and we try to do everything as a team and it pays off sometimes,” said Beth...
Suffolk Residents Urged To Use App That Aids 911 Dispatchers & First Responders (VA)
Washington — Legislation that would prevent the T-Band spectrum – a public safety radio network intended to ease communication among first responders in 11 metropolitan areas – from being auctioned to other users has garnered support from International...
NENA’s Enhanced NENA PSAP Registry and Census Completes Beta
NENA is pleased to announce that the new Enhanced PSAP Registry and Census (EPRC) service has completed its beta period and enters its first stable release. The EPRC provides the ability to find 24×7 call transfer information for any PSAP in the United States and its territories. The EPRC completely replaces the legacy NENA PSAP Registry (NPR), and requires issuance of unique credentials to each NENA validated user.
It is imperative that all legacy NPR users obtain new credentials (ID and Password) for the EPRC as soon as possible, since access and familiarization with the new EPRC is necessary before the old NPR is turned down soon. Users both old and new can find instructions to register for the EPRC at eprc.nena.org.
The EPRC is GIS-forward with a modern visual user interface, and it works like most popular mapping programs. Queries can include simply pointing on a location on a map or inputting coordinates, a community name, landmark or address. Filters are available to inquire for specific PSAP characteristics, and in addition, users have the ability to draw a map boundary around a specific geographic area and view applicable PSAP info within that boundary.
Another new feature is web form to update changes to PSAP data. Updates are reviewed by a human before activation in the live database. This feature is available to Public Safety and 9-1-1 Authority users.
The EPRC includes a robust REST API, and any interested developers familiar with ArcGIS Server applications are encouraged to inquire with NENA for more information. The EPRC also allows users to export data to a CSV.
The EPRC is free to access to any public safety personnel. Commercial entities with a valid public safety function, such as vendors in the 9-1-1 industry and certain types of call centers, can also access the EPRC subject to terms and conditions. EPRC data is not made available for and can never be used for marketing purposes.
All current and new PSAP Registry users should register and be familiar with the EPRC as soon as possible. You may contact 911eprc@nena.org with any questions or comments.
Police ID suspect in crash that killed 911 dispatcher (WI)
Milwaukee (WDJT) — Milwaukee police are looking to track down 25-year-old Denzil Crosby in connection to crash that killed 911 dispatcher Deborah Harris. Police describe Crosby as a black male, standing 6’2″ tall, weighing 260 pounds, with brown hairs and black,...
NENA Seeks Applicants for Open Education Advisory Board Position
NENA Seeks Applicants for Open Education Advisory Board Position
4 hours ago (0 Comments)Posted by: Chris NussmanNENA seeks to fill a vacancy on the Education Advisory Board (EAB) with a NENA member in good standing who possesses the desire and dedication to become part of the team charged with carrying out NENA’s educational mission.
Candidates are required to be 9-1-1 professionals that are members of NENA in good standing, of good moral character, and possess the skills necessary to support and direct NENA’s educational mission and goals. Candidates holding the Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification are preferred.
Learn more about the commitments associated with serving on the EAB at nena.org/eab-purpose.
Applications are due by Friday, April 3. Click here to apply.
First responders, Congress unite in call to preserve T-Band for public safety use
Washington — Legislation that would prevent the T-Band spectrum – a public safety radio network intended to ease communication among first responders in 11 metropolitan areas – from being auctioned to other users has garnered support from International...
To Fight Coronavirus, This City Is Asking 911 Callers To Agree To Self Surveillance
On a regular day in New Orleans’ 911 communications center, 45 people answer approximately 2,500 emergency calls. But days are anything but regular right now. Starting on March 16, 2020, emergency responders in the city of New Orleans are adapting to the new normal...
9-1-1 lawsuit settled (SD)
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety and its 9-1-1 Coordination Board has announced that the state has settled its civil lawsuit with Comtech Telecommunications Corporation of Wilmington, Delaware; and affiliated corporations NextGen Communications Inc., and...
Free Webinar on the Importance of Professional Relationships
Free Webinar on the Importance of Professional Relationships
9 hours ago (0 Comments)Posted by: Chris NussmanBy Your SideWednesday, March 25 | 3PM Eastern (live) or On-DemandFREE for NENA Members | Not a member? Join today to receive access!Click here to register!
Good relationships, techniques to overcome common barriers, and the ability to leverage relationships for professional and comm-center growth are essential to a successful career in 9-1-1. Join us for this hour-long webinar as we explore:
The types of professional relationships formed in 9-1-1;
Relational opportunities in the PSAP, between centers, and with stakeholders like vendors, technicians, customers, and service providers; and
Success stories that highlight the power of relationships.
Presenters: Kimberly Clark, ENP – Salt River (AZ) Police Department | Erika Wilson, ENP – Albuquerque (NM) Police Department | Michelle Potts – Chandler (AZ) Police Department
CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point towards the ten-point maximum for NENA courses in the Professional Development CEU/Course Credits section.
Can’t attend on the 25th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive.
Webinar Access Info: Dial-in and web-access details provided automatically via email upon registration.
Questions? Contact Amanda Tegtmeyer with the NENA Education team.
COVID-19: Kane County Declares Emergency, Issues 9-1-1 And Government Services Protocols (IL)
Kane County declared a Public Health Emergency today (Tuesday, March 17, 2020) that will allow the Kane County Health Department “to shift resources quickly to assist affected residents, businesses and communities” affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while...
APCO Statement on the CSRIC “Report on the Current State of Interoperability in the Nation’s 911 Systems”
Today, the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) VII adopted a “Report on the Current State of Interoperability in the Nation’s 911 Systems.” The Federal Communications Commission directed CSRIC to survey the current state of interoperability for the nation’s 9-1-1 systems pursuant to CSRIC’s mission to provide recommendations to the Commission on a variety of topics.
The report describes the degree to which emergency communications centers are able to share voice 9-1-1 calls, location data, SMS text-to-911, CAD data, and other types of data with other ECCs and (where appropriate) with emergency response providers. While ECCs are generally able to transfer basic voice 9-1-1 calls to neighboring ECCs, interoperability challenges often prevent sharing of other types of communications and data important for emergency response, even in areas that are making progress deploying Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies.
“APCO appreciates that the Commission acted on our suggestion to leverage CSRIC to examine the status of interoperability for 9-1-1,” APCO Executive Director and CEO Derek K. Poarch said. “APCO has been concerned that ECCs lack interoperability and that these problems aren’t going away as agencies make progress toward achieving NG9-1-1 due to the use of proprietary technology. The CSRIC Report confirms that more attention is needed, and APCO looks forward to continuing to work with policymakers at the Commission and Congress to ensure that ECCs can seamlessly exchange 9-1-1 calls and related data with other ECCs and on to responders in the field, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries, service provider, or other factors. APCO will also continue taking other steps to support efforts to achieve interoperability, such as the recently-released Sample RFP Template for NG9-1-1 Capabilities.”
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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