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Police say 911 call-taker ‘misunderstood’ address, sending MD firefighters to wrong location (MD)
Police in Montgomery County, Maryland say a 911 call-taker “misunderstood the caller” Friday night when firefighters were sent to the wrong address for a report of a house fire. The Montgomery County Police Department operates the Emergency Communications Center (ECC)...
Ada sheriff’s office improves emergency response time in Kuna, falls short of some targets (ID)
KUNA — The Ada County Sheriff’s Office last year fell short of its target goals on several metrics, including the percentage of 911 calls answered in 10 seconds or less. But the average patrol response time to critical emergencies in Kuna is down from last year,...
Morgan County Commission to upgrade failing 911 equipment, radios (WV)
BERKELEY SPRINGS — The Morgan County Commission voted unanimously this week to purchase a number of portable radios for emergency responders and law enforcement and new equipment for its 911 Center. The 10-year lease from Motorola Soluation, worth $2.5 million at...
2 people hospitalized after part of the Chatham County 911 Center is evacuated (GA)
"This morning at approximately 6:20 am, during a semi-annual fire alarm system test at the E911 Center, there was an accidental discharge of the FM-200 Fire Suppression system. Out of an abundance of caution, EMS and Fire responded to the scene. Five employees were...
New dispatch center combines Chicopee, Longmeadow 911 services (MA)
CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Starting Tuesday, a new emergency dispatch center will be serving the town of Longmeadow and city of Chicopee. It's called the WESTCOMM regional emergency communication center. Starting December 10, a new dispatch center in Chicopee will be...
Dallas Has Been Dispatching Social Workers to Some 911 Calls. It’s Working. (TX)
Last year, Dallas' police and fire departments teamed up with Parkland Hospital to rethink how they responded to 911 calls involving mental health crises. They placed a social worker inside the dispatch center to triage calls and sent out a special team staffed with a...
Aces of Trades: Every call presents a new challenge for sheriff dispatcher Ted Duffus (OH)
LANCASTER - Fairfield County Sheriff's Office radio dispatcher Ted Duffus never knows how a call he handles may turn out. It could be nothing or it could mean life or death. "Every phone call's a new challenge for us," Duffus said. "There's nothing, nothing the same....
Local 911 dispatcher charged with identity theft, harassing communications (KY)
MURRAY, KY — A 911 dispatcher in west Kentucky has been charged with identity theft and harassing communications after police say she created a fake social media account pretending to be a Murray woman. The dispatcher — 46-year-old Tonya Clevidence of...
74% of 9-1-1 calls now come from cellphones – why knowing your location is key (Canada)
With nearly three-quarters of 9-1-1 calls in B.C. originating from cellphones, E-Comm says knowing your location is now more important than ever. Of the more than 1.13 million 9-1-1 calls the emergency communications centre has received so far in 2019, 74 percent...
Study: Immigrants in Valley Less Likely to Call 9-1-1 Out of Fear of Deportation (TX)
MCALLEN – Medical experts in Hidalgo County are learning some residents are too scared to call for help, according to a new study. Hidalgo County EMS conducted 600 interviews with individual people for the study. They found people living in the U.S. illegally are more...
If You Call Chicago 911 and Dont Know Your Street Address, Will the Dispatcher Send Help? (IL)
Three weeks after NBC 5 Investigates first exposed a controversial 911 call for help -- in which a man was delayed in having dispatchers send an ambulance for nearly ten minutes -- the City of Chicago now says “more should have been done,” to help him, and...
Animals falling through the cracks: Rescues, sheriffs and dispatchers need to do better (TN)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Neglected and abused animals have fallen through the cracks in Shelby County because of failures in the system. That’s according to a Mid-South animal rescue, whose members said they witness these failures time and time again. FOX13 spoke with that...
Baker County Dispatcher honored (OR)
The Oregon State Sheriff’s Association has recognized Baker County dispatcher Amanda Bunch for distinguished service in helping save the life of a toddler who nearly drowned in a bathtub last spring. Bunch received the Distinguished Service Award during the dinner and...
Air ambulance dispatcher didnt know two companies had already declined flight that turned deadly … (AK)
Federal investigators say the crash of an air ambulance late last month occurred at night after two other companies turned down the flight due to weather and limited daylight. The dispatch officer for Medevac Alaska, the company that provided a paramedic and flight...
Dispatchers deposition reveals details in alleged 9-1-1 negligence that led to death (MI)
Former Canton Township 9-1-1 dispatcher Joshua Choroba recalled in a November deposition the moment he realized the volume on the emergency-dispatch system was turned down as employees at Heartland Rehabilitation Center tried frantically to get help for patient...
“Meet and Greet” Event Reunites Patient with Responders and Dispatcher (TN)
Murfreesboro, TN (Rutherford County)--Chris and Lacey Ray of Lynchburg, Tennessee were reunited with a medic team from Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services (RCEMS) and a Rutherford County Dispatcher this week just a month after the team delivered their baby...
Post names Cambridge trooper and dispatcher of the year (OH)
The Cambridge Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol (OHP) has named Trooper Keith Roe as the 2019 Post Trooper of the Year and selected Post Dispatcher Nicole Wheeler for the 2019 Ohio State Highway Patrol Telecommunications award at the Cambridge Dispatch Center. “Being...
Dispatchers celebrate special arrival (NC)
MOREHEAD CITY — A County Emergency Services telecommunicator got an early Christmas present Monday when she met a mother and the baby the dispatcher helped deliver. Brittany Stapleton, 21, had no idea when she reported for work Oct. 29 in the county’s emergency...
New dispatch system, training saving lives in Stoddard County, Mo. (MO)
STODDARD COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) - 2019 has been a record year for first responders in Stoddard County who are earning more awards for saving lives. Their success is in part thanks to new technology and training involved with the launch of a Computer Aided Dispatch system...
Eldon community frustrated with city budget spending after four cuts (MO)
ELDON - Four city workers in Eldon are left in the dark after they have been notified by the city that they will not have a job come January 1, 2020. The City of Eldon cut three full-time firefighters and one dispatcher, citing budget cuts. City leaders have not...
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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