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Dispatch Center Signals New Move; Renovations Transferable
August 20, 2010The police dispatch center [in Gardner, Ma.] is again open for business and will soon be fully renovated, but the mayor is hoping it will be a short stay for both the employees and new equipment.
Read full articleFCC Seeks Nominations for Membership on the Emergency Response Interoperability Center Public Safety Advisory Committee
August 18, 2010The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is seeking nominations and expressions of interest for membership on the Emergency Response Interoperability Center…
Read full articleFCC to Hold Speaker Series Event Featuring The National Institute of Standards & Technology’s Office of Law Enforcement Standards
August 18, 2010Aug., 17, 2010, Washington, D.C.—The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) today announced it will…
Read full articleCity Switches to Civilians for 9-1-1 Calls?
August 17, 2010At midnight Monday, the city flipped the switch to civilianize its emergency 911 center. The police union questioned whether the city was prepared.
Read full articleFrancisco Partners Completes Acquisition of EFJohnson Technologies Inc.
August 13, 2010EF Johnson Technologies Inc. announced that FP-EF Holding Company Inc., an affiliate of Francisco Partners has completed its acquisition of EF Johnson Technologies Inc. Under the terms of the merger agreement approved by stockholders, FP-EF Holding Company has acquired all of the outstanding shares of EF Johnson Technologies, based on a price of $1.50 per share in cash.
Read full articleTurf Issue Hampers 9-1-1 Board Decisions
August 13, 2010“Toy towns” and turf issues are preventing Shelby County from having a single emergency dispatch center, a Shelby County 911 Emergency Communications District board member said Thursday.
Read full articleExpectations of Emergency Response for Tweets & Status Updates
August 12, 2010The American Red Cross released the results of an online survey of 1,058 adults asking about their use of social media sites in emergency situations. It turns out that many Web users would turn to social media (e.g., Facebook or Twitter) to get help—and they expect emergency personnel to respond.
Read full articleMarion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office Launches Text Messaging Service
August 12, 2010The Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office has launched a text messaging service that will enable citizens to text the agency for help in an emergency by texting 352/351-9111. The system, which was developed in-house, enables urgent text messages to be received and handled by a system that is separate from the agency’s 9-1-1 system.
Read full articleCommunication Breakdown in Wisconsin: City & County Agencies at Odds over Emergency Radio System
August 12, 2010In the basement of the Dane County (Wis.) Sheriff’s Office, four pallets loaded with radios, still in their boxes, are taking up floor space. At issue, the VHF radios don’t work on Madison’s 800 MHz system. The state is encouraging VHF. And narrowbanding means a decision has to be made soon.
Read full articleIllinois Cracks Down on False 9-1-1 Calls
August 12, 2010Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill into law to deter individuals from placing false 9-1-1 calls by increasing penalties for fake 9-1-1 offenses. The law allows people making a fake call to be charged with a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
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