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Public Safety Advocate: FCC Recognizes Wireless, FirstNet Priority, Santa Barbara

Many federal agencies still seem to believe broadband means fiber. Fiber is expensive to run and far too costly for rural areas where there is a lot of space between farms and small towns. Further, many of the available grants provide money for building out broadband but not for keeping it operational. All across America there are cases of systems that were installed but are no longer functional because there is a lack of funds to support their continued operation.

Dispatcher Jim Reeves takes his retirement in stride

Jim Reeves is headed off into retirement after a long and prosperous career as a dispatcher for the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, and he sat down with The Recorder to discuss his career and his future plans. 25 years, 3 weeks and 12 hours later, Reeves retired as a...

Dispatcher meets baby born on side of highway

WEST OLIVE — When Jake VanDyke called 911 and told the dispatcher his wife was going to have a baby before they could make it to the hospital, two thoughts went through Mary Allman’s head. One was that the Ottawa County Central Dispatch employee needed to do...

New service in Edmonson County allows texts to 9-1-1

BROWNSVILLE, Ky. --- (WBKO) Edmonson County is now giving people the opportunity to text 9-1-1. It's a program that has been live since June and they have been working out the kinks. Officials have discovered that older phones work better with the technology. The only...

Dispatch issues at Vigo County 911

Another county office is battling an attack on its computers. This time.. it’s the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office. Over the weekend.. a malware virus infected its computer system and that virus has directly impacted the Vigo County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center. News 10’s Jada Huddlestun is live at the Vigo County Jail. She joins us now to break down what happened.

Support Group Helps MI Dispatchers Cope with Trauma

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI—For those who work as 9-1-1 operators, it's not a matter of if they're going to hear something traumatic, but when. "Not everybody can do this job," said Megan Ross, who works as a dispatcher for Ottawa County. "Some people can, some people can't,...

County to hire 4 new dispatchers to handle 911 call volume

Four new Anoka County Central Communications dispatcher positions were unanimously approved the Anoka County Board July 23 in response to a spike in 911 calls this year. According to Dee Guthman, deputy county administrator, dispatchers are dealing with a very high...

Scott County to amend budget for radio project

The Scott County Board of Supervisors will vote Thursday on an amendment to the 2020 budget to reflect changes resulting from the radio infrastructure project's bond issuance. David Farmer, the county's budget and administrative services director, told the board...

Hickory Club will urge council to keep dispatch at LPD

The Lockport police officers union is expected to urge the Common Council today to spend $272,000 to upgrade the police department's radio equipment and keep dispatching in-house. City leaders for weeks have discussed whether to let Lockport Police...

Cole County launches interactive 911 program

JEFFERSON CITY - Residents of Cole County now have a way to provide more information to first responders before an emergency happens. The app, Smart911, allows people to create a "safety profile," so when they call 911 their information will be readily available to...

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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