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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.”
Village Board approves $800000 emergency radio communications upgrade (WI)
On Monday, the board voted unanimously approving a contract with Baycom Inc., which upgrade the system to simulcast very high frequency radio signals from four sites: Roger Prange Center, police headquarters, on Green Bay Road; the Sheridan Road tower; Doubletree Inn;...
Garland County seeks grant for deputies (AR)
HOT SPRINGS -- Federal funds are available to expand the Garland County sheriff's office's patrol division, providing a chance of funding the county denied the department last year. The U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, grant...
County mulls another levy attempt for 911 services (ID)
Flathead County is reconsidering another mill levy to help fund the 911 Emergency Communications Center, six years after a ballot measure fell short. County Administrator Mike Pence said the new levy would be similar to the 2014 measure that would have created a...
Phone outage in Douglas County prevents customers from dialing 911 (OR)
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — A CenturyLink phone service outage is taking place in Doulas County that is affecting approximately 674 customers in the Drain and Yoncalla areas, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The outage may prevent residents in those areas...
Chesterfield Fire and EMS to receive EMS Award (VA)
CHESTERFIELD — The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and medical technology company Masimo announced Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services (CFEMS) will receive the Excellence in Fire-Service Based EMS award for its Mobile Integrated...
Clark County accepting construction bids for new 911 dispatch center (OH)
The Clark County Commission is seeking construction bids for a new 911 Communications Center. The commission announced this week they would be accepting bids. Construction companies interested in bidding must submit bids no later than 10 a.m. on Friday, March 27. The...
Beatrice Puts in Place Incident Command Structure, For Coronavirus (NE)
BEATRICE - The City of Beatrice implemented its Incident Command Structure this week, as local officials monitor the Coronavirus.No cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the local area, but Incident Command Team Leader, Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake says being...
Knox County Sheriff, County Commissioners recognize heroes, appoint new communications director (ME)
ROCKLAND – The night of February 1, of this year, is not a night that Craig Dennison and Donald Holbrook III of Warren will soon forget. It was the night an ATV they were riding on crashed through the ice on Crawford Pond in Union. Knox Regional Communications Center...
NWT’s 9-1-1 has received 9,000 calls. Two-thirds weren’t emergencies (Canada)
The figures were provided by the minister responsible for 9-1-1, Paulie Chinna, in the legislature on Thursday. Before November 4, 2019, the NWT did not have 9-1-1 – residents instead had to call local numbers depending on location. Chinna, the minister for municipal...
Dispatcher shortage requires money to fund solution (FL)
THE ISSUE: Citrus faces emergency communications dispatcher shortage. OUR OPINION: More incentives, higher pay will fill vacant positions, assist in retaining staff. The voice on the other side of 911 is asking for help. Will you answer the call? The...
Eight-year-old girl saves mom by calling 911 (WY)
CASPER Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) Telecommunicators are usually behind the scenes for all of the calls they receive. The call Amanda Munoz, telecommunicator, had with eight-year-old Delilah was different. Delilah noticed her mom unconscious and called 911. In a recording...
Lifesaving dispatchers receive awards (TX)
Gainesville dispatcher Laura Polmateer’s lifesaving actions for an old friend made her a recent award recipient during the annual Texoma Regional 911 Telecommunicators Banquet in Sherman. Polmateer underwent surgery in December 2019 to donate her kidney to someone she...
Randolph 911 telecommunicators honored (WV)
ELKINS–The Randolph County Commission has agreed to recognize 911 public safety telecommunicators as “true first responders.” “The difference between a dispatcher and a telecommunicator is when they are trained,” said Cindy Hart, executive director of the Randolph...
Walla Walla County gets RapidSOS for better location data on 911 cellphone calls (WA)
Walla Walla Emergency Services Communications, the county’s 911 dispatch call center, announced today it has updated its device location data for 911 calls from callers with Apple and Android phones, and more. Until now, WESCOM has had “fairly accurate” location...
Commissioners again delay dispatcher salary increases (WY)
The Teton County sheriff will have to wait a little longer for the intervention he’s been seeking to save the county’s 911 dispatch center from a crisis. County commissioners broached the topic again Monday, only to say they want to wait until the regular budget...
Bastrop County 911 call volume increased by 8% in 2019 (TX)
The growth that Bastrop County has been experiencing over the past several years is acutely felt in the county’s 911 center. A report presented to the Bastrop County Commissioners Court on Monday shows that the 911 communications center fielded 135,954 calls last...
Holbrook Regional Emergency dispatchers screen all calls for coronavirus (MA)
Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center dispatchers are asking potential patients several questions to determine if they could be suffering from the novel coronavirus, according to Director Steve Hooke. They are asking all callers who report a medical...
Demystifying the Cloud for Public Safety (DC)
WASHINGTON, DC, USA, March 11, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), the leading trade association for providers of emergency communications, software, and emergency response technologies, announced the second in...
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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