"Public Safety Communications"
Narrowbanding & 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 articleWhere’s That Radio?
January 27, 2011After years of delays by elected officials struggling with what they perceive as an “unfunded mandate” and a reluctance to spend money in this tough economy, you finally received approval to replace all your radios to comply with the FCC’s narrowbanding mandate. You purchase the new radios, program them with the new interoperability channels and modify your FCC license to reflect narrowband emissions. But when you complete the distribution and installation, you discover that you’re short 23 front-line radios. And you’re out of budget funds. This is one example that illustrates why inventorying your radio equipment is so important.
Read full articleForeign Correspondence
January 24, 2011As the U.S. and Canada have designated 9-1-1 as their unique emergency number, other countries have their individual, historically grown structures of emergency numbers. A few years ago, an APCO International evaluation revealed that there are more than 170 different numbers worldwide to reach first responders. We thought it would be interesting to identify differences in countries, cultures and emergency numbers. For my first article, I have chosen to report about my home country, Austria, and provide an introduction to the European-wide “112” emergency number.
Read full articleShots Fired!
January 14, 2011“He’s still shooting inside. Shots fired! Shots fired!” — Vail, Colo., an energetic, low-crime resort town, population 4,700, hadn’t had a murder since 1979. That changed on Nov. 7, 2009. The Vail Public Safety Communications Center found itself handling an active shooter incident just six months after its employees had completed an APCO Active Shooter class. Vail dispatch is a small, proactive communications center that tries to stay on the cutting edge of training.
Read full articleAm I Ready for the Big One?
January 14, 2011In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about readiness in the comm center. We have backup phone systems, backup generators, even backup comm centers. What about backup telecommunicators? I wanted to know, “What about me?” What if I were the one working (stuck) in the comm center when something big happens? Is there anything out there to prepare me? I did some research on communications preparedness, and I’d like to share my findings with other telecommunicators.
Read full articleUnconventional Ideas
January 13, 2011With more reliance on cellular and UHF radio communications, public safety organizations find themselves dependent on a modern technology infrastructure to support their inter- and intra-agency communications, and communications with the public. However, one major hurricane or winter storm could render most of the technology useless during the stage of the event that it’s needed the most. Here are six strategies to back up your agency’s communications.
Read full articleNext Generation 9-1-1 in 2011
January 5, 2011The New Year will be busy as agencies prepare to integrate new technologies into their comm centers and regions plan to stand up networks to manage the delivery of emergency calls. Work groups will continue to actively discuss the impact of new technologies and the operational processes that will change. As can be expected, there’s not always agreement among members of working groups with regard to technical and operational requirements for NG9-1-1 systems. Here are a few topics that will continue to be the source discussion in 2011.
Read full articleCommunications Down Under
January 5, 2011To provide the reader with some history as to how the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) arrived at where it is today, we have to take you on a journey back in time. In Queensland, ambulance services began Sept. 12, 1892, when the first meeting of the City Ambulance Transport Brigade was held.
Read full articleMobile Diagnosis
December 28, 2010In the midst of the holidays, many across our nation will take a physical and mental respite from the ever-present tribulations of life. As the annual deceleration occurs, public safety professionals understand that during this time of the year an acceleration of the rate at which their services are needed occurs in kind. An unfortunate fact is that emergency personnel often arrive at homes, office parties and restaurants, or rendezvous with transportation system conveyances, with minimal — if any — crucial patient information at the ready.
Read full articleTips to 6-Pack Abs
December 28, 2010Belly fat is by far the most common reason people exercise and try to lose weight. Getting rid of belly fat isn’t something that can be done simply with crunches, though. You must work hard in several ways to burn off the fat and keep it off.
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