On July 16, APCO Chief Counsel Jeff Cohen testified before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology during a hearing on spectrum policy and 5G technology. He emphasized the need for public safety communications to remain reliable and interference-free in the 6 GHz band, which is heavily used for fixed point-to-point microwave links essential to dispatch and first responder communications. Cohen also urged Congress to repeal a provision of the law that would require public safety to vacate the T-Band (470-512 MHz). Further, he encouraged wireless carriers to leverage 5G technology to improve 9-1-1 location accuracy and wireless emergency alerts. Cohen concluded by emphasizing that for 5G to reach its full potential, 9-1-1 systems must be modernized, so that what’s available for consumers is aligned with what’s available for 9-1-1. View the full video.
|
Join your colleagues October 8-9, 2019, in Denver, CO, at APCO's Emerging Technology Forum for an engaging look at future technologies and to address the challenges of the ever-changing landscape of public safety communications. Gain valuable insight on what is happening around the country, on Capitol Hill and in your communications center. The forum encourages interaction among attendees and speakers and provides opportunities for vendors to give live demos of software and equipment. Register now.
APCO has secured a discounted hotel rate for attendees – cut-off date is September 16. Reserve your room.
|
Voting members can cast their ballot until Tuesday, August 13, 2019. Go to apcovotetoday.org to learn more about your candidates and vote. Voting will be available on-site at APCO 2019.
|
The following agencies have met the minimum training standards for APCO's Agency Training Program Certification, a Project 33® Initative, and have been awarded certification.
|
NBC 15
As fewer people use landlines, demand has declined for the service that rings people up to deliver emergency announcements.
|
KOLD News 13
The 3 a.m. outage affected fire, police and sheriff’s offices in the region. It was the first time the regional system failed and officials have not yet established the cause.
|
News Tribune
The Smart911 app will allow police to get the word out to the public in emergencies and could also relay information helpful to first responders during individual emergency responses.
|
Dennis “Buzzy” Gavin passed away on July 7, 2019, at age 53. Raised in Pasadena, MD, Dennis worked for Anne Arundel County Police for 12 years as a 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicator. He was a member of Severna Park Elks, an avid Nascar fan and liked casinos. Dennis was a doting father who enjoyed taking his sons to the Nascar racetrack and family trips to the beach.
|
10 News
The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke honored three first responders for their selfless acts after all of them were nominated by their peers and supervisors. One of the three was telecommunicator Michelle Tringali who was recognized for developing emergency operations plans with the faith-based and nonprofit communities of Roanoke City.
|
The Foxboro Reporter
Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Emergency Communications Center will open a new $2 million center next summer in Foxboro with funding from state grants.
|
The Huntington County Tab
Tim Allen returns to the public safety telecommunications world to lead Huntington County’s combined dispatch.
|
KARE 11
West Hennepin Public Safety Department Chief Gary Kroells said people should call 9-1-1 if they need to speak to an officer or have one respond to their location.
|
Fire Engineering
A team of six public safety telecommunicators in the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center coordinates firefighting activity across 4.5 million acres, unifying all parts of an operation from sending trucks of Gatorade to managing the movements of aircraft in the sky.
|
The Progress Index
The five-question survey, available online through August 8, is for anyone who has used 9-1-1 services in Chesterfield.
|
|
| |
|
