Top Comm Center Headlines

News & Articles

Public Safety Advocate: PSCR, More on PTT, Future Technologies

This week the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) organization under The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is holding its annual meeting to discuss with public safety and the vendor community how its research is progressing, how it has provided funds to others for projects and, of course, to present some technology demonstrations. Unfortunately, I am not able to attend the event this year but I will be reporting on PSCR’s findings and activities in next week’s Advocate.

Newport Beach, CA, 3GPP Plenary Meetings Recap

By Dean Prochaska, Senior Director of Standards
The June quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Newport Beach, CA addressed standards in several areas relevant to the evolution of the public safety broadband communications and the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). 

FCC Adds 9-1-1 Congressional Mandates to August Meeting Agenda

RSS
FCC Adds 9-1-1 Congressional Mandates to August Meeting Agenda

Pai circulated draft rules that would implement two recently enacted laws to improve emergency calling, the Kari’s Law Act of 2017 and RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, and extend 9-1-1 location requirements to additional calling platforms.
“For more than five years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Hank Hunt as he told the story of his daughter Kari and advocated tirelessly for changes to 9-1-1 dialing so that other families do not have to endure a similar tragedy,” said Pai. “His efforts led to the adoption of Kari’s Law. In a few weeks, the commission will have the opportunity to implement this and other legislation that will help people reach 9-1-1 without dialing an access code and be quickly located by first responders, regardless of the technology platform used to call for help. I hope that my fellow commissioners will join me in supporting this potentially life-saving action.”
President Donald Trump signed Kari’s Law Act of 2017 into law last year.
The law requires MLTS to enable users to dial 9-1-1 directly, without having to dial a prefix, such as a 9, to reach an outside line and to provide notification, such as to a front desk or security office, when a 9-1-1 call is made to facilitate building entry by first responders.
Kari’s Law is named in honor of Kari Hunt, who was attacked and killed by her estranged husband in a motel room in Marshall, Texas, in 2013. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 9-1-1 for help four times from the motel room phone, but the call never went through because the hotel’s phone system required dialing 9 for an outbound line before dialing 9-1-1.
In addition, Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act requires the FCC to consider adopting rules to ensure that “dispatchable location” information — the caller’s street address and other specifics, such as floor level or suite number — is conveyed with 9-1-1 calls, regardless of the technological platform used, so that first responders can be quickly dispatched to the caller’s location.
If adopted at the August meeting, the new rules would provide clarity and specificity to these statutory requirements so that companies can effectively meet their obligations under Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act. The new rules would also establish dispatchable location requirements for 9-1-1 calls from MLTS, fixed telephone service, interconnected VoIP services and telecommunications relay service.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

FirstNet SurveyTAKE SURVEY>

Help Guide FirstNet Investments: Take a Survey hosted by the First Responder Network Authority

We welcome your insights on the experiences and operational challenges you encounter as a public safety professional. By participating in this FirstNet Authority survey, you’ll help shape future enhancements to ensure they meet the mission‑critical, real‑world needs of the public safety community. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

Understanding Operational Challenges that should Drive FirstNet Investment

Questions about coverage in your state?
FirstNet Advisors

Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (SWICs)

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.

* indicates required

Follow Us

Stay connected with the latestEmergency Communications News, Articles & Information.