Industry
New York City Unveils New Public Safety System
May 10, 2011“The Personal Localized Alerting Network, what we call PLAN,” said FCC Chair Julius Genachowski on May 10, “is a new technology and service that will turn your mobile device into an emergency alert device with potentially lifesaving messages when public safety is threatened.” The statement came during a press conference at the site of the World Trade Center to announce the launch of PLAN in New York City.
Read full articleNathan Lee Talks about 9-1-1 Flaws in North Dakota
May 6, 2011More than three years after his 21-year-old wife was abducted and murdered, Nathan Lee stood Thursday before a group of strangers in North Dakota to tell his story. He spoke about flaws in the 911 system, miscommunication, a lack of standardized training and the need to do better. The 911 professionals in North Dakota were the latest of what will be many more people to experience Lee’s personal mission to change the emergency call system nationally.
Read full articlePresident Obama’s Visit to Ground Zero Underscores Need for First Responder Network
May 5, 2011Washington, D.C. — President Barack Obama’s visit to Ground Zero in New York City today is an important reminder of the need for a nationwide public safety broadband network, announced the Public Safety Alliance. The network would ensure that first responders have the spectrum they need for reliable and efficient interoperable communications and strengthen their emergency response capabilities with faster more secure broadband capabilities.
Read full articleFrom the Field to the Hill
May 5, 2011Legislative offices on Capitol Hill were filled yesterday with 145 EMS providers advocating for three issues near and dear to their hearts. These providers joined in Washington, D.C., yesterday as part of the second annual EMS on the Hill Day.
Read full articleObama Pays Respects at Ground Zero
May 5, 2011NEW YORK — Marking Osama bin Laden’s death where the terrorist inflicted his greatest damage, President Barack Obama soberly laid a wreath Thursday at New York’s ground zero and declared, “When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say.”
Read full articleA 9-1-1 Dispatcher Car for NASCAR
May 5, 2011If you had the opportunity to raise the visibility of your profession, would you take it? This spring APCO International Florida Executive Council Representative Debbie Gailbreath is participating in a contest to do just that by unconventional means: designing a 9-1-1 Dispatcher Car for NASCAR.
Read full articleDHS Launches Month-Long Multiband Radio Pilot
May 4, 2011WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate today announced the kick-off of a 30-day…
Read full articleAn Effective Force Multiplier
May 4, 2011A fight between two teenagers breaks out in a small pocket park in downtown Redlands, Calif. A dispatcher quickly turns a surveillance camera on the incident and surveys the scene while calling an officer to respond. Those around the scene do nothing to break up the fight, while one of the combatants receives a kick to the head. The perpetrator begins to leave the scene as a responding officer arrives. Arrest made, evidence on file, case closed.
Read full article$4 Million Communications Grant to Aid Border Effort
May 4, 2011Augusta, Maine — The Maine Emergency Management Agency will use a close to $4 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to further enhance communication as part of its effort to protect the state’s borders.
Read full articleCalifornia Cities Sell Radios to Keep HOAs Informed in Emergency
May 4, 2011Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert are offering homeowners’ associations a direct link to officials in case of an earthquake or other massive disaster. Both have handheld radios available for sale to HOAs, directly connecting residents to local emergency operations centers to report injuries, damage or other information.
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