Posts From Public Safety Communications
APCO International Featured on Dr. Oz 9-1-1 Segment
March 17, 2011Daytona Beach, Fla. — Public safety communications association, APCO International, provided information for a segment on The Dr. Oz Show, “The Three Biggest Mistakes you Should Never Make When Calling 9-1-1.” The episode aired March 11, 2011 around the country. APCO International’s Board of Directors Representative, Gigi Smith, shared her expertise.
Read full articleNominate an Agency for the 2011 Horizon Award
March 10, 2011The Horizon Award recognizes communications centers that have shown leadership in technology and are proactively seeking solutions to manage the introduction of technological advancements in their center and community over the current year. APCO International is currently accepting nominations for this honor.
Read full articleOfficer Down
March 10, 2011As a dispatcher, the first signal you learn — 10-24 — is also the last one you ever want to use: officer down/officer needs assistance. Veteran dispatcher Cindra Dunaway discusses her 2003 experience on night shift, when this signal came over the radio channel and how the incident and police officer personally affected every telecommunicator and officer at the station.
Read full articleRegister Online to Attend APCO Global Congress in Dubai
March 4, 2011Online registration is now available for the APCO Global Congress in Dubai, UAE. At this new event, public safety and security practitioners in the Middle East will experience the latest in public safety communications technology this June.
Read full articleBleak Grant Outlook for 2011
March 3, 2011Politicians tell us that the recession has ended. If you asked a person standing in an unemployment line in New York, Philadelphia, Denver or Los Angeles if they agree with that assessment, they would probably say no. If you look at many state and local budgets, prosperity is hard to find. More and more, states are withholding funds that used to be passed on to municipalities to help with their projects.
Read full articleEllen Pittman
March 3, 2011There’s no doubt Ellen Pittman, an assistant supervisor for the Department of Public Safety Communications in Fairfax County, Va., is a go-getter. This military veteran has quickly moved up the department’s ranks to serve as a manager, as well as a training instructor, while maintaining a positive attitude.
Read full articleNew Study Verifies Public Safety’s Broadband Plan
March 2, 2011Alexandria, Va. — A new economic study released today by former FCC staff and leading telecommunications academics finds that assigning the D block to public safety, as opposed to subjecting it to a commercial auction, provides the nation with at least $3.4 billion more in social benefit. Furthermore, the study concludes that the allocation of D block to public safety will help contribute to deficit reduction.
Read full articlePublic Safety Communications Officials to Descend on Philadelphia in August
March 2, 2011Daytona Beach, Fla. — This August, Philadelphia will be home to the premier public safety communications technology, education and networking event, the APCO International Annual Conference. At least 4,000 public safety communications officials will visit the city to participate.
Read full articleEmergency Calls in Finland
February 24, 2011As follow-up to discussing the complicated system of eight emergency numbers in Austria, as well as providing an overview of the 112 emergency number used in Europe, I will focus on another European Union (EU) country: Finland. Finland is famous for being home to a company that started by producing rubber boots and car tires and is today a leader in cell phone production, and for its use of the Finnish sauna. Almost every business building in the country has a wooden sauna cabin adjacent to a meeting room(s), allowing executives to continue a business meeting at a dry heat temperature of approximately 90° C (190° F).
Read full articleFCC Wants Answers on 10,000 Dropped 9-1-1 Calls
February 24, 2011The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking Verizon for answers after receiving reports that approximately 10,000 9-1-1 calls were dropped during a Jan. 26 snowstorm. The outage affected trunks that handle wireless 9-1-1 calls in two Maryland counties, Montgomery and Prince George’s.
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