Don’t get me wrong – the benefits for all of us, from call takers to administrators to first responders and citizens, of course, will be tremendous.

We, as citizens, will be able to request help from 9-1-1 in so many quick and easy ways. And Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) will have more information than ever to make the best decisions and provide the best response. But while we focus on when and how we’ll implement networks and enable connectivity, and worry about all of the things that are to come, we’re overlooking the most critical impact of NG9-1-1 – the impact it will have on our call takers’ experience, and what that means to the speed and accuracy of their responses.

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication, hospitality, and public safety world!

1) Public Safety Grants: The Assistance to Firefighters Grant deadline is TODAY! Be sure to check out the FEMA website if you haven’t already. If you’ve ran out of time for this grant, don’t worry. There’s a few more with deadlines that are soon approaching. Be sure to check out these Federal Grant Opportunities to see if you qualify!

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication and public safety world!

1)  Drones- Although the majority of the public fears the use of drones and their own privacy, firefighters are actually encouraging the use of these robots. They say the drones can help spot and view fires before the firefighters even get to the blaze, allowing for more adequate relief. Right now, officers can only see the fire when it’s right in front of them. These drones would consist of a camera strapped to an aviation unit, to help firefighters identify the blaze. Fireflight owner, Jerry Stuckey said, "The way I see it, it's technology, and technology that can save lives and property." Read more on the implementation of drones to help firefighters here.

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication and public safety world!

1) The Council On Financial Reform (COFAR) Fraud Alert: FEMA announced that there are scam artists claiming to be the Council on Financial Reform contacting individuals reporting that they’ve received grants from the government. However, the individual must pay a processing fee which can only be paid by giving up bank account information. COFAR stresses that they will never ask for such personal information when dealing with grants. Read more on this topic on the Grant Fraud website.

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication and public safety world!

1) Google Glass & Public Safety- Google Glass is a wearable technology (like a pair of glasses) with a head mounted display that would relay information to the officer’s line of sight, replicating a computer monitor. This would reduce the time an officer spends on having to radio in information, while waiting to obtain an answer. NYPD seems to be the first one to test this new technology, and you can read about it on PublicCEO.

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication and public safety world!

1) P25 (Project 25) Communication equipment- These are the set of standards used for federal, state, and local police departments set forth by APCO.  It ensures interoperability between these levels in terms of radio communication to enhance timeliness, effectiveness, and coordination during emergencies. Why is this important? FEMA opened applications for Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) on the 18^th, which is only available for “the acquisition of P25 compliant equipment.” 

We’ve been taught ever since childhood to dial 911 when we encounter a problem concerning the law, health, or safety. As natural as this may feel to us in a time of need, there is actually protocol into whether or not to call 911 vs. the general police/safety numbers.

Now of course, incidents that put someone’s life, safety, health, or property in immediate danger without hesitation require a 911 call.

I’m speaking of those occurrences that may not be time sensitive, or requiring emergency services. Events that happened longer than 15 minutes prior, (that do not involve an injury and suspects are not present at the scene) do not require an immediate 911 dial. Instead, contact the local authorities via their general phone number. If you don’t know your local non-emergency line, dial 411 to be connected or click on the link below. If you live in Chicago, dial 311 for non-emergency events.