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WA Department Joins Regional Dispatch Center

Spokane firefighters no longer have their own communications center. Nov. 1—After years of resistance from the firefighters union and the City Council, Spokane has joined the regional emergency communications system that answers every 911 call made in the county. READ...

Changing technology drives upgrades to 911 (LA)

What’s next for 9-1-1?Natchitoches Parish has a state-of-the-art facility, well trained dispatchers and staff and an excellent call answering record. So what is next?In this age of constantly changing technology, the 911 NATCOM center must keep up to ensure the...

Inaugural Community Police Academy Graduates – (NY)

On Oct. 26, 18 members of the campus community graduated from the first Department of Public Safety (DPS) community police academy. The academy is a free four-week program designed to give students, faculty and staff an idea of what it is like to protect and serve the...

SPD announcing changes to processing of 911 calls (WA)

All calls for emergency services (Police, Fire, EMS) are processed through a unified communications center. The communications center houses both Spokane Regional Emergency Communication employees (SREC) and SPD dispatchers. The change comes as both SPD and SREC seek...

K-State Police Department adds advanced 911 system | (KS)

The K-State Police Department went live with a new Next Generation 911 system on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and became the 105th Public Safety Answering Point to do so, Jason Blackburn, KSU Police Department communication operations coordinator, said.  “It is advanced...

Local dispatcher gets statewide award (ID)

SANDPOINT — Amber Lindsey originally wanted to be a police officer. An injury derailed those plans prompting her to switch her plans to dentistry. It was then a friend told her about a position at Bonner County Dispatch. Lindsey, then 20, got the job where she has...

UPCOMING WEBINARREGISTER>

FirstNet Independence: A governance case study

Thursday, February 19, 2026
1:30 PM PT | 2:30 PM MT | 3:30 PM CT | 4:30 PM ET

As we are near the time Congress must reauthorize FirstNet, there needs to be a discussion on the review of FirstNet Governance. Join former FirstNet Board Chairs Sue Swenson, Chief Richard Carrizzo, and former Vice-Chair Chief Jeff Johnson, as they discuss the value of an independent FirstNet Authority, program oversight, and the need to protect and advance the nation’s public safety network.

The creation of the FirstNet Authority marked a deliberate and historic policy decision by Congress to establish an independent, nationwide public-safety broadband authority insulated from traditional departmental control. Born out of the lessons of 9/11 and codified in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, FirstNet was designed to operate with a singular mission: to ensure reliable, interoperable communications for the nation’s first responders. The discussion will examine the governance structure, rationale for its statutory independence, and oversight model.

Reauthorization SurveyMORE>

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.

PETITIONSMORE>

Congress should reauthorize the FirstNet Authority now.

Support the reauthorization of the FirstNet Authority to preserve public safety’s network

PSBTA UpdatesMORE>

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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Public Sector GrantsMORE>

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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