"Public Safety Communications"
Excellence
March 16, 2012What a collaboration of people! Look around at any communications center and you’ll find a diverse group of people. People…
Read full article‘Is There a Doctor in the House?’
February 29, 2012“Is there a doctor in the house?” This popular phrase has been tossed around since at least the 1930s. We all know what it means: Someone nearby is having a medical emergency, and they may not have time to wait for paramedics to arrive. What does the 21st Century version of this call for help sound like? Perhaps, “Is there an AED in the house?”
Read full article9-1-1 Resolutions
December 19, 2011The arrival of Jan. 1 motivates many people to make New Year’s resolutions. You may include resolutions related to your…
Read full articleServing His State: Donald Kottlowski Discusses Interoperability in Indiana
October 20, 2011APCO International stalwart Donald Kottlowski has parlayed his lifelong interest in radio technology into a 38-year career serving his home…
Read full articleNarrowbanding Waiver Guidance
October 5, 2011Does your agency operate on radio frequencies below 512 MHz? If so, is your agency already operating on “narrowband” channels (i.e., 12.5 kHz or the equivalent)? If not, are you aware of the FCC requirement that such systems convert to narrowband no later than Jan. 1, 2013? Will your agency be ready?
If not, your agency may want to consider seeking a waiver of the requirements pursuant to recently released FCC guidelines, and you should try to do so before the end of this year.
Johnson County Emergency Comm Center Is Environmentally Friendly & Functional
September 16, 2011With an increasing push toward green technology and design, a Kansas-based comm center has set a gold standard—not only with…
Read full articleNationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative
September 1, 2011Every day, law enforcement officers at all levels of government—state, local, tribal and federal—observe suspicious behaviors or receive reports from concerned civilians, private security and other government agencies about behaviors that could have a potential nexus to terrorism. Until recently, this information was generally stored at the local level and shared within the agency—or, at the most, regionally shared—as part of an incident reporting system. Enter the Nationwide SAR Initiative.
Read full articleThe Great Migration to Plain Talk
August 25, 2011Dear Radiohead: There’s been some talk around here about using common language instead of 10 codes. One of the most heated discussions — really I should say arguments — has been on traffic accidents. The powers that be can’t decide if they should call it a “motor vehicle accident” or a “motor vehicle collision.” I vote we stay with the 10 code, 10-50. What do you think? — 10-4, Good Buddy
Read full articleThe National Emergency Communications Plan
August 18, 2011Over the past 10 years, the federal government and public safety agencies have invested significant resources to update the nation’s emergency communications capabilities. To encourage a coordinated approach and wise investments, the DHS Office of Emergency Communications has launched key initiatives.
Read full articleSuccession Management for the Comm Center Manager
August 4, 2011If you are to pass on the mantle of leadership and ensure your comm center continues to move in a forward direction, you need to understand the concepts of succession management. Traditionally, comm centers have had to focus on the here and now, sometimes thinking about the next issue or problem looming on the horizon, but almost never truly thinking five to 10 years down the road.
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