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Commentary

The evidence is clear: Body-worn cameras should be on the radar screen of every law-enforcement agency

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words; if so, then video is worth tens of thousands words. Despite this, deploying body-worn cameras on officer is not a simple decision.

Commentary

How smartphone alerts can increase Americans’ safety abroad during times of uncertainty

Despite efforts to improve the ability of the U.S. government to be able to communicate with Americans traveling abroad, the chances of success are haphazard, at best—a situation that could result in the unnecessary loss of American lives. Technology offers a way to increase significantly the chance for the U.S. government to provide important emergency information to these Americans on foreign soil.

Commentary

Morgan O’Brien reflects on dismissed bid for nationwide FirstNet contract, potential for public safety

Morgan O’Brien, the co-founder of Nextel Communications who proposed the notion of a nationwide public-safety broadband network a decade ago, explains the processes involved in the development of a proposal by Code3 Broadband—a consortium led by pdvWireless, of which O’Brien is vice chairman—for FirstNet that was removed from consideration two weeks ago.

Commentary

How should states prepare for FirstNet opt-out decision?

Most states have not taken any formal actions to prepare for the FirstNet opt-out decisions that their governors are expected to make next year. There is a lot to consider, and approaches can vary dramatically—a fact that is evident in the three state requests for proposals (RFPs) that have been released to date.

Commentary

First responders need access to life-saving, 3D location technology

For public safety, the location of an incident and where its personnel resources are during a response are critical pieces of information. With this in mind, it is crucial that such data—including vertical-location information, with floor-level granularity—is made available to first-response agencies.

Commentary

From festivals to football, emergency preplanning for assembly events is critical

Bad things can happen when large gatherings of people occur, particularly in today’s era of terrorist attacks. By planning for emergencies long before such an event, public safety can be equipped to respond to an incident as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Commentary

Reliable high-speed backhaul vital for delivering mission-critical HD multimedia services to first responders

Technology exists to support systems that can deliver high-definition video to first responders in real time—a potentially very valuable application to public safety. But planning for such systems needs to include measures to ensure that the backhaul will be available when needed and has adequate capacity to deliver the low-latency experience that will be needed to help officials make critical decisions.

Commentary

Geospatial data exchange is needed now to improve efficiencies, save lives

It would allow critical information to be shared at a moment’s notice, even across county lines—a capability that could be the difference between life and death, as in the case of Shanell Anderson.

Commentary

Police vests go broadband: How body-worn cameras affect mission critical infrastructure

Body-worn cameras on police officers promise many benefits, but developing a secure, fast method to upload the video content is critical to the technology being used to its full potential.

Commentary

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the PSAP: Strategic planning for data integrity

Users at the PSAP must have up-to-date, reliable GIS data to ensure accurate location information is available for dispatch, because it can help save lives. To optimize GIS, there must be a viable-yet-flexible relationship between the GIS data, the GIS software, and the people accessing or using these resources.

Commentary

The evidence is clear: Body-worn cameras should be on the radar screen of every law-enforcement agency

Commentary

How smartphone alerts can increase Americans’ safety abroad during times of uncertainty

Commentary

Morgan O’Brien reflects on dismissed bid for nationwide FirstNet contract, potential for public safety

Commentary

How should states prepare for FirstNet opt-out decision?

Commentary

First responders need access to life-saving, 3D location technology

Commentary

From festivals to football, emergency preplanning for assembly events is critical

Commentary

Reliable high-speed backhaul vital for delivering mission-critical HD multimedia services to first responders

Commentary

Geospatial data exchange is needed now to improve efficiencies, save lives

Commentary

Police vests go broadband: How body-worn cameras affect mission critical infrastructure

Commentary

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the PSAP: Strategic planning for data integrity

Commentary

Is LMR the best solution for first responders? Should 4.9 GHz license go to the FirstNet Authority?

Countdown to IWCE 2024: Your Last-Minute Guide

FirstNet Authority reauthorization needed as public-safety-driven network evolution proceeds

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