Cities Respond to Grand Jury Report on Dispatching
The cities within Santa Clara County (N. Calif.) are duplicating the functions and costs of providing emergency communications, according to a civil grand jury, and more importantly, “middle-men” in handling 911 calls delays responses from …
Graphic Design Firm Tackles Dispatching Interfaces
The prestigious Museum of Modern Art (NYC) has included a new concept of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software in its latest “Talk to Me” exhibit that highlights the art of design, but linking to information and data in new and interactive…
After-Action Report Faults Jargon, Unfamiliarity
A team of consultants hired by the island city of Alameda (N. Calif.) to analyze a drowning incident has issued a report that criticizes the city for eliminating a rescue swimmer program to save money, and notes that fire officers and dispatchers were …
The Start of FCC Action to Implement NG911
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially declared an end to talk about Next Generation 911 (NG911) and the start of action, asking for the first input on how to implement text-to-911 service, both short and long-term, taking into acc…
Legislator Proposes Funding To Narrowband Radios
Just 15 months before a federal government deadline to convert to narrowband radio communications, a New York legislator has introduced a bill in Congress that would offer local agencies $400 million to finance the upgrades. Rep. Steve Rothman (D) in…
City Prepares To Charge For 911 Hang-Ups
Quite simply, the city of Vallejo (N. Calif.) is tired of handling 911 hang-up calls, but more significantly has just ended bankruptcy and is looking for ways of supporting the cost of dispatching officers to investigate about 4,500 hang-up incidents …
Wireless Network Part of President’s Jobs Bill
On the path to turning around the American economy and putting more people back to work, President Obama has proposed wide-ranging legislation that includes allocating the 700 MHz D Block to public safety, creating a non-profit corporation to administ…
Real-World Study: D Block Spectrum Is Essential
A consulting firm headed by an admittedly sympathetic D Block promoter performed a real-world test of public safety broadband wireless, and concluded that 20 MHz of contiguous spectrum is needed, and recommended those frequencies come from the 700 MHz…
Real-World Study: D Block Spectrum Is Essential
A consulting firm headed by an admittedly sympathetic D Block promoter performed a real-world test of public safety broadband wireless, and concluded that 20 MHz of contiguous spectrum is needed, and recommended those frequencies come from the 700 MHz…
Fed Technical Group Seeks Input On Future Radio
As part of the long and on-going effort to fund, design and deploy a nationwide public safety radio network, a federal technical agency is requesting input on the future network’s features and how they might be implemented. The radio network wou…