Category: Emergency Services

October 10, 2023

Fighting fires is no easy task, especially a fire that begins within a waste or recycling facility. In this month’s column, I explore why it’s important to be prepared for a facility fire and explain the difference between DIY fire […]

July 20, 2023

Emergency call centers across the country are steadily trading in their analog call-taking equipment for modern devices packed with new features designed to bolster public safety, while call providers swap out copper wiring for fiber-optic cables. These efforts are part […]

June 15, 2023

The consulting and services firm Mission Critical Partners announced Thursday it was recently awarded a contract with Minnesota’s technology and emergency communications agencies to develop a new statewide strategy for the state’s deployment of next-generation 911. The firm is tasked […]

May 11, 2023

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday announced that public and charter schools across the state can soon sign up for access to a new app that will allow teachers to alert emergency responders and other school staff during emergencies. The […]

March 28, 2023

PG&E’s wildfire mitigation plan is based on measures that it says have previously reduced the number of acres burned in the most high-risk portions of its service territory by 99% in 2022, as compared to the 2018-2020 average. These include […]

February 8, 2023

Yesterday, Operator, Directory Assistance and 9-1-1 Emergency Services all played an important role in our landline telephone world. However, as landlines are being replaced by wireless smartphones, VoIP Internet service and other technologies, these vital services are also fading away. […]

January 30, 2023

A new survey of more than 7,100 first responders conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reflects their need for communications tech that is “trustworthy,” “controllable” and “[reduces] user frustration.” NIST’s “Voice of First Responders” project was […]

January 19, 2023

In-building wireless company Nextivity has acquired High-Power User Equipment (HPUE) company Assured Wireless, which serves the public safety user market. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Assured Wireless was founded in 2016 and is based in San Diego, […]

November 2, 2022

T-Mobile US has partnered with cloud platform provider Sinch to launch NextGen 911 Real-Time Text (RTT), a new service that allows customers to text for emergency assistance. RTT, which the carrier first implemented in its devices in 2016, refers to […]

July 13, 2022

Rave Mobile Safety, which makes software for public safety and emergency management agencies, announced Wednesday it was recently selected by Louisiana to power a statewide public alerting system. The company will provide Louisiana services through the Integrated Public Alert and […]

March 1, 2022

The public-safety tech firm Rave Mobile Safety announced Monday that it’s been selected as California’s provider for emergency mass notifications amid a statewide project to upgrade its 911 system. Rave’s cloud-based platform is now available to hundreds of public-safety agencies […]

November 23, 2021

Emergency call centers across the nation are “doing a good job” upgrading to modern technology compatible with next-generation 911, but the core infrastructure backing those systems needs a boost, according to a recent analysis from the public-safety consulting firm Mission […]

April 21, 2021

Hours after warning that government agencies have been affected by vulnerabilities found in a piece of virtual private networking software, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued its third emergency directive in five months to civilian federal agencies. The new […]

March 10, 2021

“Disappointing.” That’s how a range of clean energy advocates and demand response providers are describing the California Public Utilities Commission’s latest plan to prevent a repeat of the state’s August 2020 rolling blackouts this coming summer. The proposed decision (PDF) […]

February 24, 2021

In his 17 years as an emergency medical provider, Anthony Almojera thought he had seen it all. “Shootings, stabbings, people on fire, you name it,” he said. Then came covid-19. Before the pandemic, Almojera said it was normal to respond […]

February 18, 2021

Urgent care centers are on the rise. Back in 2013, there were only 6,100, but this number increased to 9,616 by late 2019 a 7.9% average annual increase. The rise of urgent care could have positive or negative impacts on […]

February 4, 2021

The State of Nebraska plans to complete its deployment of next-generation 911 by the end of next year, a public safety official there told StateScoop on Thursday. Following a competitive procurement process, Nebraska last month awarded telecommunications contractor Lumen an […]

December 22, 2020

Most Americans tell pollsters they’re worried about being able to afford an unexpected medical bill. Late Monday, Congress passed a bill to allay some of those fears. The measure is included in a nearly 5,600-page package providing coronavirus economic relief […]

November 9, 2020

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed nearly 90 percent of the clean-up of the hazardous household waste from Oregon’s Almeda Fire. However, two-thirds of property owners have not completed the necessary Right of Entry forms for the clean-up to […]

October 30, 2020

New York utilities are coping with the remnants of Hurricane Zeta and say they are always working to improve storm response. At the same time, the state is considering stricter penalties for potential failures. “After every storm we look for […]