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Hagerstown PD disappears from analog scanners
Those wishing to listen in on Hagerstown Police Department calls will have to update their technology: the "patch" to the old 800 MHz frequency, which allowed simulcasting of calls on the old analog frequencies, was taken down last week
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First respondersHow to move forward on nationwide wireless emergency-response network
One of the lessons of 9/11 and Katrina was that there was a need for a nationwide wireless public safety and emergency-response network; trouble is, politics, arguments about spectrum allocation, business competition, and technology have all contributed to holding things up; one observer says that the way forward is for government to make a national emergency response network a wireless priority and devote dedicated, unencumbered spectrum to it
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Ambulance radios in London do not work in the rain
Ambulances in London have a problem: ambulance crews often working without radios especially in heavy rain when their radios seem to have reception problems; ambulance panic buttons either did not work, or did not elicit any response when set off by staff; Airwave, the Airwave system is getting a £39 million upgrade in time for the 2012 London Olympics
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Communication interoperabilityFormer high DHS officials, lawmakers oppose new FCC plan for public safety band
Former DHS officials, lawmakers oppose the FCC's latest plan for reallocating the U.S. limited airwaves; they say the plan could endanger public safety by limiting the ability of first responders to communicate during crises like 9/11
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Communication interoperabilityPublic safety networks still can not communicate with each other
Two decades after the initiation of the effort to bring about communication interoperability among public safety personnel, the lack of standards continues to hobble the campaign; Project 25, launched twenty-one years ago, was supposed to develop standards that would let police, firefighters, and other first responders communicate across departmental and jurisdictional lines using equipment from various manufacturers
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Experts call for uniform testing standards for interoperable communications gear
There are no uniform product testing programs for emergency communications equipment; this means that first responders could buy radios they believe are interoperable but fail to deliver during a disaster
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FCC asks for public comments on public safety band for first responders
The U.S. government wanted to use a portion of the 700 MHz band -- which became available after the June 2009 transition from analog to digital TV -- for public safety communication; the government hoped that large wireless providers would pay $1.3 billion for that portion of the band, but the highest bid came in at $472 million; the FCC is trying again
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The Oklahoma bombing: 15 years onDocumentary offers new insights into McVeigh's path to terrorism
MSNBC is airing 'The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist,' tonight at 9:99pm EST; the film draws on forty-five hours of never-before-released interview audiotapes recorded during McVeigh's prison stay; the film reveals the bomber's descriptions of the planning and execution of the horrific attack and offers insight into how a decorated American soldier became a dangerous, anti-government terrorist
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DHS advises first responders not to get rid of their old gear just yet
The FCC's National Broadband Plan recommends the deployment of a dedicated broadband network for the public safety community, but DHS tells first responders they should not expect an early exodus from existing technologies, including mobile radios, just yet
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Wireless communication solutions for emergency situations
At one time, traditional broadcast networks -- radio and TV -- were adequate for alert services and information dissemination during disasters and emergencies; these means do not allow communication among individuals; modern mobile devices might prove increasingly resilient in emergencies and could be the most accessible platform for the majority of people
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FCC's new public safety proposal receives mixed response
FCC relaunches the 700 MHz public/private safety initiative; original 2008 auction for Block D failed to reach its reserve price; new FCC plan puts up to $16 billion and more spectrum behind the proposals; public safety organizations disappointed, carrier community remains undecided
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Homeland security challenges for the Washington D.C. police, I
Protecting the U.S. capital on a local level poses unique challenges, but it also offers advantages; the police department must accommodate both traditional local concerns and diverse needs related to the presence of multiple federal government and military organizations; yet, the department also can tap those myriad government agencies for vital resources and information that help it counter or respond to terrorist threats
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Testing 4G technology for national public safety network
A 4G mobile telecommunications technology would make a major contribution to the proposed nationwide public safety network on the 700 MHz radio band because it would give emergency responders access to advanced communications technologies and massive data files (video, mapping, and GPS applications, etc.) at faster speeds from anywhere in the country
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First responders want more spectrum for safety network
A 10-MHz swath of spectrum in the 700 MHz band freed up by last year’s switch to digital TV broadcasting already has been set aside for the nationwide network for first responders; public safety officials, though, said the additional bandwidth is necessary to create a robust, high-speed network capable of handling multiple kinds of data, as well as video and voice traffic
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Interference-free radio from Cambridge Consultants
Cambridge Consultants shows a novel "spectral sensing" cognitive radio technology that will allow any radio product to transmit without interference over the so-called "whitespace" frequencies recently vacated by the U.S. digital TV switchover
