Top Comm Center Headlines
News & Articles
Arbitrated Settlement Nets Big Gains For 9-1-1 Operators (Canada)
RICHMOND, British Columbia — After months of intermittent bargaining that ended up going to interest arbitration last fall, B.C.’s emergency dispatchers have a new four-year collective agreement with E-Comm that improves staffing and working conditions while building...
Girl Knew What to do When Mother was Unconscious; Dispatch Honors Her (WY)
A Casper mother named Griselda had taught her eight-year-old daughter, Delilah, what to do if an emergency arose, and those talks paid off at 5:46 p.m. Feb. 9, according to a news release from the Casper Police Department. Delilah found her mother apparently...
911 call that led to operator’s suspension for refusing to send help to dying man released
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Local 12 now has the 911 call that led to the suspension of a 911 operator following her refusal to send help to a dying man. The call came into the Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center earlier in March from an apartment building in...
ATCEMS station reopens to better benefit crews and Austin (TX)
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A staff of over 500 paramedics cover and respond to more than a million people, according to Austin-Travis County EMS’ website. With the average amount of 9-1-1 calls they receive each year exceeding 100,000, top-notch facilities aren’t just nice...
American Heart Association Cheers Rutherford County AND TN Legislature’s Unanimous Support for T-CPR (TN)
A lifesaving policy known as Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR) passed recently from the Tennessee Senate, concurring with the House version, and is now heading to the Governor's desk. Senate Bill 1958, sponsored by Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, passed with a unanimous...
911 call that led to operator’s suspension for refusing to send help to dying man released (OH)
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Local 12 now has the 911 call that led to the suspension of a 911 operator following her refusal to send help to a dying man. READ MORE
Sheriff makes impassioned plea for help with dispatch center staffing (WY)
JACKSON, Wyo. — A task force assigned to present solutions to a near-crisis shortage of staffing at the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center met with elected officials Monday to explore options. READ MORE
OUTDATED 9-1-1 SYSTEM PUTS LIVES IN DANGER (PA)
Some 911 systems across the country were designed before the use of cell phones and the outdated technology makes some centers unable to accurately pinpoint a caller's location. To see video READ MORE
N.C. 1st responder family beats cancer twice as little girl rings the bell (NC)
CLAYTON, N.C. (WNCN) — A family of first responders from Clayton, North Carolina is celebrating two big wins against cancer. Both Christina and Duane McKay are firefighters for the Archer Lodge Fire Department. Christina is also an emergency dispatcher. In...
Whitley County dispatcher graduates from Public Safety Dispatch Academy (KY)
A total of 19 law enforcement dispatchers graduated Friday from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT), including Anthony W. Christie, who works at the Whitley County E-911 Communications Center. The...
Cedar Rapids emergency responders start enhanced screening to prepare for Coronavirus outbreak (IA)
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) Cedar Rapids has started initiating several plans to prepare for the potential spread of COVID-19. Local emergency responders say they’ve started enhanced screening as a precaution. "Every 911 call that comes into the dispatch that is medical...
911 operator shortage plagues Citrus (FL)
“911, what’s your emergency?” The emergency in this case is at the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center where there is a shortage of communication officers, officials say. The trend is nationwide says April Heinze with the National Emergency Number...
FirstNet suffers data-service outage in southeast U.S.
Data service for some FirstNet users was interrupted Thursday morning, but the issue was resolved, according to FirstNet contractor AT&T, which indicated that it is investigating the cause of the outage. “Early this morning, data service was affected for some...
Next Generation 911 (NG911) (MT)
Because most 911 systems were originally built using analog rather than digital technologies, Public Safety Answering Points, PSAPs (dispatch centers) across the country need to be upgraded to a digital or Internet Protocol (IP)-based 911 system, commonly referred to...
City phasing in next-generation 911 service (Canada)
For decades, dialing 911 and speaking with an operator has been the standard way to call for help. Winnipeg police are now preparing for the day when people can send for help by text message or video as well. With the proliferation of mobile devices capable of...
Alyssa’s Law requiring panic alarms in schools moves forward with major changes (FL)
Legislation requiring panic alarms in public and charter schools throughout the state underwent major changes Thursday after a strike-all amendment in the House. Members voted to remove a requirement that a single, uniform system be installed in all schools. The...
Annual Clearlake Police Department report shows drop in key crime numbers, new PSAP (CA)
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – For the second year in a row, the city of Clearlake has seen double-digit decreases in serious crime, and it’s also now seeing the lowest property crime numbers in 35 years. [...] The agency’s big accomplishment, White said, is becoming a public...
Multi-town emergency communications center proposed (MA)
PEPPERELL – Three towns in the western Nashoba Valley area are looking to have one location overseeing all its emergency calls. Pepperell, Ashby and Townsend are collaborating to establish a joint Regional Emergency Communications Center in town. The center was...
9-1-1 Dispatchers advised to ask additional questions regarding Coronavirus (SC)
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Government officials in Charleston are taking precautionary steps to mitigate the risks and impacts of COVID-19 in the Lowcountry. Charleston County Emergency Management, along with partners, first responders, and health officials in the...
LEGISLATION WOULD DO AWAY WITH CMRS BOARD, RAISE PHONE RATES (MS)
A board that controls millions of dollars in emergency communications funds could soon be on its way out. Lawmakers are considering SB 2746, the Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority Act. The bill would do away with the Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS)...
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
Subscribe to Comm Center News
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
PARTNERS
Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates
Share Your Story
Join our community to share your experience and connect and collaborate with colleagues.
Join Our Newsletter
Get the latest News, Articles, and Insights from AllThingsECC.com weekly in our newsletter.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.



