Commentary

Complacency is not an option

A rising tide of public-safety broadband networks (PSBN) around the globe creates opportunities for agencies delivering police, fire, and emergency medical services. But along with the chance to rethink traditional voice communications and add new broadband-enabled tools, agencies must assess and plan for the risk of network failure. Networks designed for public-safety operations incorporate layered […]

Commentary

For public-safety communications, our past guides the future

Reflecting on past innovation can inspire industry to deliver more for first responders. As the country honors first responders today, those of us in the public-safety community bear a special responsibility to recognize the valor of those who keep the public safe, protected, and healthy. We must show them our gratitude by making their jobs […]

Commentary

It’s time to think strategically about portable firefighter radios

The early days of handheld public-safety portable radio devices did not bring specialized designs for a firefighter’s unique requirements. Police, fire, EMS, bus system managers, and others received the same device without regard for different work environments. From a purchasing standpoint, the strategy made sense: it was simple and enabled volume pricing advantages. But as […]

Commentary

How effective data integration simplifies a complex ecosystem

Renaissance philosopher Sir Francis Bacon once famously opined that “knowledge is power.” It’s difficult to argue against this simple notion. Nevertheless, it does generate an important question: how is knowledge gained? The equally simple answer is that knowledge largely derives from an adequate supply of relevant information that can be parsed and contextualized to inform […]

Commentary

Collaborative PS-IOT could supply missing pieces in public safety’s common operating picture

The explosive growth of the LTE ecosystem results from standardized open interfaces that enable the interconnection of innovative devices and networks. Much as LTE has grown thanks to a virtuous cycle spawned by standardized interfaces, so will future advances in public-safety command and control systems. At Fire Rescue International 2021 in Charlotte, innovators brought at […]

Commentary

New technologies drive code advancements for in-building public-safety communications

In-building coverage is a significant challenge for first-responder emergency communications, according to an International Fire Chiefs Association report based on a Safer Buildings Coalition survey conducted in 2018. According to the report, 98% of emergency responders said that they were having problems with their communication because of dead spots in a building, while 56% said […]

Commentary

Unfinished Business: Why NFPA and IBC fire codes need to kill the fire phone

In the human body, the appendix seems to serve no functional purpose. Why did the organ appear? How can it come out of people’s bodies with no harm? Much as a person’s appendix is a mystery organ with no value, the North American fire codes contain a similar useless bygone artifact. The omnipresent-but-never-used wired two-way […]

Commentary

Unlocking the power of ESInets: Different NG911 provisioning approaches exist; level of control is key differentiator

Next-generation 911 (NG911) systems represent a quantum leap forward for the public-safety community and the citizens that it serves. Internet Protocol (IP)-based and broadband-enabled, such systems are capable of considerably more than legacy 911 systems, which is why many emergency communications centers (ECCs) from coast to coast are clamoring to implement them. The broadband capabilities […]

Partner content

Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

Just as the targets of these attacks have shifted from individuals to corporations, so too has the narrow focus given way to applying force and pressure to pay. No one needs reminding that ransomware has reached incredible proportions; one widely reported statistic from Purplesec suggests that $20 billion was paid out in 2020. That’s almost double its […]

Commentary

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

Communicating with personnel was already a challenge for companies with workers in the field, deskless staff who travel, as well as widespread workforces in siloed divisions and office locations. Now that COVID-19 has all but eradicated traditional in-person relationships and many in-office team members are now working remotely, keeping everyone synced is an even more […]

Commentary

Commentary

Complacency is not an option

Commentary

For public-safety communications, our past guides the future

Commentary

It’s time to think strategically about portable firefighter radios

Commentary

How effective data integration simplifies a complex ecosystem

Commentary

Collaborative PS-IOT could supply missing pieces in public safety’s common operating picture

Commentary

New technologies drive code advancements for in-building public-safety communications

Commentary

Unfinished Business: Why NFPA and IBC fire codes need to kill the fire phone

Commentary

Unlocking the power of ESInets: Different NG911 provisioning approaches exist; level of control is key differentiator

Partner content

Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

Commentary

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

Commentary

Swatting has serious implications and shouldn’t be ignored

Reflections on recent LTE outages

Necessity indeed is the mother of invention

Events

UC Ezines

IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

Twitter

Where advanced cyberttackers are heading next: Disruptive hits, new tech dlvr.it/SdtsDQ

NY Power Authority uses AI to enhance drone inspection program dlvr.it/SdtrZr

Decrease Response Times with The Intrepid Response Platform dlvr.it/SdlLyP

After exploring ‘opt-out’ decision in 2017, New Hampshire’s Stevens wins FirstNet Authority award dlvr.it/Sdkmfp

Swatting has serious implications and shouldn’t be ignored dlvr.it/SdhYp1

Newscan: San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill dlvr.it/Sdh0Sc

Falling telco energy use at odds with the victim narrative dlvr.it/SdfMWM

CISA’s strategic plan is ushering in a new cybersecurity era dlvr.it/Sddxn8