Sunday, July 20, 2008
Dropped Calls
By Doug Brown
When a neighbor saw flames climbing the walls of the small house in Maryland, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911. The call, however, landed with...
DHS Releases Statement of Requirements for Interoperability
Department of Homeland Security
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate released a document describing its requirements for interoperable communications systems for police, fire, EMS and other public safety organizations....
Increased Prospects, Tougher Choices
Janet Wilmoth, Editor
Our coverage on interoperable communications from the International Wireless Communications Expo continues this week with a report by Mobile Radio Technology Senior Writer Donny Jackson on a Public Safety and First Responders Roundtable session at IWCE....
Existing Weather, Cellular Tech Adapted to Fight WMDs
By Douglas Page
The pressing need to find better ways to detect WMD agents continues to attract new ideas. In two recent developments, existing technologies devised for...
Static Shock
By Donny Jackson
Wildfires that raged out of control for weeks and scorched much of Southern California presented the sternest test yet for the state's public safety communications...
Wireless Network Hands Off Data at High Speeds
By Douglas Page
The first and geographically largest deployment of mobile mesh networking technology for use by a civic public safety entity will go on the air in April...
3,000 Public Safety Radio Licenses at Risk
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has been conducting an audit of the construction and operational status of...
NENA Issues Roadmap to Wireless E-911
As of the end of last year, four out of five emergency call centers in the United States still didn't have the technology to pinpoint the location of...
NENA 911 Experts Named to FCC Advisory Panel
David Jones, director of emergency services for Spartanburg County, S.C., and Jenny Hansen, manager of the Public Safety Services office for the state of Montana, have been named to an FCC advisory panel to provide expertise in 911 issues....
NENA Initiative Provides Framework for Modernizing Nation's 911 Systems
National Emergency Number Association
As Congress considers measures affecting the nation's 911 system, the National Emergency Number Association on Thursday provided perhaps the most detailed picture ever of the nation’s 911 challenge, particularly with regard to call center capabilities for automated location technologies for wireless callers....
Spectrum Leasing is Dicey Proposition for Public Safety
Donny Jackson, Editor
As part of its newly opened proceeding on software-defined radios, the FCC is seeking comment on an intriguing question: Should public-safety entities...
U.S. House Approves E-911 Legislation
National Emergency Number Association
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that promises to speed technology upgrades at thousands of 911 emergency call centers across the country....
County Call-In
By Tim Bodony, Correspondent
Technology and expertise bring a hefty price tag, but by pooling their money, a group of departments can afford top-notch dispatching and communication services....
Marshalled Forces
By Robert R. Rielage, CFO, EFO, MIFireE, Ohio State Fire Marshal
Ohio was able to establish centralized communications and command for its statewide response plan at a bargain price, thanks to an almost-new rescue vehicle....
NIST studying wireless communications system for first responders
National Institute of Standards and Technology
First responders would like to be able to send messages simultaneously to all the emergency workers at the scene of a disaster if necessary, but lack...
Feds open up more airwaves for public safety
National Volunteer Fire Council
The Federal Communications Commission on April 23 voted 5-0 to set aside a chunk of airwaves for public safety organizations. The 50 MHz of spectrum between...
Homeland Emergency Response Operations Act reintroduced
Congressional Fire Services Institute
On March 25, Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.) and Rep. Curt Weldon (Pa.) reintroduced the Homeland Emergency Response Operations Act (H.R. 1425). The legislation...
Interoperability task force releases reports
National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Task Force on Interoperability met several times in 2002 to engage in an interactive dialogue on communications interoperability. The discussions...
Internet protocol may solve communications interoperability
Douglas Page
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, emergency communications have taken on stark importance. The need for public safety agencies fire, police...
Wireless revolution
Ken Branson, Correspondent
Is the waiting over yet? New uses for technology promise better incident communications and better-prepared responders, but costs and compatibility are still major hurdles....
Motorola business involved in homeland security wins national quality award
The Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions Sector of Motorola, Inc. has been named a 2002 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner for...
Document developed to mitigate interference in the 800 MHz band
International Association of Fire Chiefs
The public safety community, Nextel Communications, Inc. and the Private Wireless Coalition have adopted an important consensus strategy for mitigating...
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