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“He’s going to die here”; Ohio dispatcher suspended for refusing to send help to stroke victim (OH)
CINCINNATI — A dispatcher refused to send emergency help to an Ohio man experiencing an apparent stroke the night of Jan. 12. He ended up dying, and the next day, there was a new 911 call from his neighbor, demanding emergency services at least help remove...
Texarkana, Texas, to replace emergency sirens | Spring Lake Park siren, the first, will be able to deliver voice announcements (TX)
TEXARKANA, Texas — The City Council has begun a project to update its outdoor warning system with three sirens, one located in Spring Lake Park. "Several of the sirens have been in place since the 70s," said Tracey Litton, deputy emergency management coordinator with...
New tool now available for Ontario County first responders (NY)
CANANDAIGUA N.Y. (WHEC) – A new potentially life-saving tool is at the fingertips of first responders in Ontario County. As part of an upgrade to its phone system, emergency coordinators at the county’s 9-1-1 center are using a program called “Rapid SOS”, which uses...
NKY Police Officer, Dispatcher Complete State Training (KY)
A Northern Kentucky police officer and a dispatcher graduated from their training programs at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training. Independence Police Officer Douglas M. Wolking was one of thirty-one officers to graduate from the basic training...
Boston Fire chief Joe Finn is retiring after 36 years on the job (MA)
Character reveals itself in bad times more than in good. It would be totally accurate to say that Joe Finn’s character revealed itself at any number of fires he has worked over the last 36 years, none more so than a horrible March day in the Back Bay in 2014, when the...
Despite challenges, CARS’ volunteer-staffed ambulances still come when called (VA)
When you call them, they still come. On a recent morning, Vikram Gupta scrambled out of a Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad ambulance and took two-at-a-time the stairs of a city home where an elderly man fell in a second-story bedroom. Behind followed driver...
Irondequoit Police Chief Richard Tantalo to take county’s top public safety job (NY)
Irondequoit's Police Chief Richard Tantalo will be taking the helm as Monroe County's director of safety. It was one of five new appointments announced by Monroe County Executive Adam Bello on Monday. Tantalo, 63, of Irondequoit, whose law enforcement career...
EU Initiative to Support Public Safety through Secure Satellite Communication (Europe)
Although it has been a taboo at the European level up to now, the time has come to break this taboo and to recognise that space is an enabler of security and defence, with a defence dimension for Galileo and a security element for Copernicus, Internal Market...
Six-year-old girl dials 911 for her ‘injured’ stuffed bunny (Canada)
TORONTO -- Police were dispatched to a home in the U.S. after a six-year-old dialed 911 for her “injured” toy bunny, sparking one of the cutest conversations on the internet. Fort Collins Police Service in Colorado traced the call to an address to investigate after...
Erica Rock Of LAPD Graduates As Valedictorian Of NMLEA Public Safety Telecommunicator Class 146 (NM)
Los Alamos Police Department dispatcher Erica Rock, center, graduated Feb. 21 from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy as Valedictorian for Public Safety Telecommunicator Class 146. Rock’s grade point average was a 99.07. LAPD Chief Sgambellone, right,...
Muncie ambulances to cover entire city after agreement with Delaware County (IN)
MUNCIE, Ind. — The City of Muncie will be expanding its EMS service after Delaware County EMS agreed to pull its service from the city limits. According to a press release from the city, Delaware County EMS will no longer service parts of the city as...
Copley trustees vote to add Springfield to 3-community emergency dispatch center (OH)
COPLEY — A joint emergency dispatch center for Copley, Barberton and Norton may soon expand its coverage area to Springfield Township. On Monday, Copley trustees voted to add Springfield to Southwest Summit Communications Center, which handles police, fire and EMS...
Five cities join forces to create South Dale EMS (AL)
DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) -- Dale County has a new crew to respond to emergencies. The South Dale EMS held a press conference Friday morning to announce the new operation. Napier Field, Midland City, Pinckard, Newton and Grimes are all small towns along Highway 134 in...
Minister: New Public Safety Radio System (Bermuda)
“This new radio platform will enable public safety agencies to coordinate more efficiently than in past days,” Minister of National Security Wayne Caines said, explaining that “for the 1st time in Bermuda, every radio on the system across the various departments will...
Gallatin County may put public safety levies on June ballot (MT)
The Gallatin County Commission will decide on Tuesday whether to ask voters to approve tax increases for public safety on the June 2 ballot. The commissioners are considering two mill levies — one for the 911 Dispatch Center and one for Search and Rescue. The 911...
9-1-1…Where is Your Emergency?
It is a question asked 240,000,000 times a year, according to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). While it is indisputably the most critical piece of information that the caller has, it is also the most difficult to communicate to the 9-1-1 call taker....
Emergency Services Center to get new phone system (TX)
The Emergency Services Center on County Services Drive is getting a new phone system. Members of the Putnam County Emergency Communications District unanimously approved the emergency purchase of a new Mitel phone system for the building Thursday. The purchase is...
Businesses Need to Comply with New 911 Law or Face Risks
The deadline to comply with Kari’s Law was February 16, 2020. Here’s an overview of what employers, businesses, and the hospitality industry need to know. Signed into law last year, Kari’s Law is one of two laws aimed at improving the 911 service. The law is named...
Safeguards help prevent false wireless emergency alerts in NC, but some mistakes are inevitable (NC)
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Wireless Emergency Alerts allow public safety officials to send warnings directly to cell phones in case of a potentially life-threatening incident. Recently, though, erroneous alerts have gone out with long delays in correcting the messages. It...
AT&T updates FirstNet numbers, says it has closed coverage gap with Verizon
FirstNet subscribers—more than 11,000 public-safety agencies representing more than 1.2 million connection—have access to an expanding AT&T LTE network that covers more than 2.61 million miles in the U.S., making the coverage difference between AT&T and...
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.
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Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.
Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network
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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.
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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.
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