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Verizon Customers Received Text Messages to Call 9-1-1
February 3, 2011In January, several PSAP managers posted on public forums that their agencies were receiving calls from citizens saying they had received a text message advising them to call 9-1-1.
Read full articleCall for Authors
February 3, 2011APCO International and Public Technology Institute (PTI) are seeking practitioners from the public safety communications and technology profession to contribute their expertise to an important new book that is being developed as part of PTI’s “Thought Leadership” book series. This new book CIO Leadership for Public Safety Communications: A Practical Guide for the Next Generation of Technology Leaders is being developed with support from the Public Safety Foundation of America.
Read full articleGet Educated at EMS Today
February 3, 2011On the afternoon of March 3, the CDC’s Richard C. Hunt, MD, FACEP, and APCO Technical Service Manager Kathy McMahon will conduct a session at the EMS Today Conference & Exposition called Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN): Using This Data to Enhance Emergency Response.
Read full articleGolden Valley Electric Association Chooses Tait
February 2, 2011Houston — Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) selected Tait to migrate them from a wideband proprietary system to an open standard fully-expandable trunked radio network capable of meeting the FCC narrowbanding requirements.
Read full articleDelayed 9-1-1 Response a Valid Question
February 2, 2011Collier County, Fla. — Early one evening last October, John Hilton frantically performed CPR on his father as his wife, Shanelle, talked to a 9-1-1 dispatcher who assured her help was on the way. It was — only to the wrong house. What happened to the Hiltons is an example of a rare but elusive glitch in the county’s state-of-the art emergency dispatch system.
Read full articleSign up for an APCO Committee
February 1, 2011Although July is several months away, it’s time to begin organizing APCO International’s standing committees for the 2011–2012 year. Committee appointments coincide with the APCO fiscal year, beginning in July. To allow adequate time to make committee appointments so committees can begin operating on July 1, we must start the sign-up process now and receive your committee assignment requests.
Read full articleNarrowbanding & You
February 1, 2011On the APCO Open Forum, we are starting to see more inquiries and discussions about narrowbanding. One thing we all have to keep in mind is the deadline: Jan. 1, 2013. This is the drop-dead date per the FCC order. What does this mean to us as first responders? Here’s where your homework assignment starts. Locate all your radio licenses. If you are currently licensed in the VHF spectrum (150–174 MHz) or the UHF spectrum (421–512 MHz) for almost any purpose, narrowbanding will affect you.
Read full articleStratos Introduces BGAN Humanitarian Pricing Plans for First Responders
February 1, 2011Bethesda, Md. — Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced the immediate availability of its new BGAN Humanitarian Pricing plans. The plans offer first responders flexible pricing options for Inmarsat BGAN satellite communications service.
Read full articleTalley Inc. Announces Three New Vice Presidents
February 1, 2011Los Angeles, Calif. — Talley Inc., one of the industry’s largest wireless distributors, named Pat Flynn, Glenn Lee and Scott Wenk company Vice Presidents.
Read full articleGwinnett Cities Explore 9-1-1 Options
January 31, 2011Gwinnett County, Ga. — A growing number of Gwinnett County communities are looking to establish 9-1-1 call centers, absorbing a county role that city leaders say could improve police response times — and the bottom line. County officials don’t oppose the idea, but they question the need.
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