Public Safety
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The North Area Technical Rescue Team is a 30-year-old, 150-member group that performs specialized rescues in Denver’s northern suburbs, including rope, confined space, trench and collapse rescues. -
Officials in Grand Traverse County, Mich., are seeking county board approval for an artificial intelligence-powered “call taking system” that would help identify and reroute non-emergency calls to 911.
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The City Council in San Rafael voted unanimously this month to renew the San Rafael Police Department's military equipment use policy, which included introducing a new drone program.
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Factors like off-duty officers arriving at 911 scenes before their on-duty counterparts, as well as inaccurate information from emergency callers, have interfered with how well law enforcement monitors response times.
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The agency is seeking feedback on its idea to bring more precision to emergency call locations in hopes of helping first responders. The proposal reflects larger trends in the public safety space.
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The system will help find missing adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Since 2023 the state has been working to ensure the reporting system is easy to use for dispatchers, first responders and the public.
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The North Bergen Police Department has become the first in Hudson County to launch a cutting-edge drone unit, integrating unmanned aerial systems into its public safety operations as a first responder.
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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon found that smoke from both wildfires and prescribed burns was associated with 20,000 premature deaths over a four-year period. Native, older and Black Americans were particularly vulnerable.
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The sheriff's office has five drones in use that have cut rescue times for people in peril from hours down to minutes. The devices are shared with other first responders across the Western Michigan county.
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A new system, powered by LexisNexis, lets Oklahoma City residents report nonemergency crimes to police online. More than 400 have logged reports since the platform made its debut April 1.
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The 85-acre complex, which will be home to operational training exercises and classroom work for police, firefighters and 911 dispatchers, has been met with protests and lawsuits since it was announced in 2021.
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Municipal law enforcement has begun the physical device reprogramming process that will ultimately take its police scanner traffic off the air. A privacy advocate noted the need for greater transparency into government work.
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The emergency dispatch center in Walla Walla currently fields both 911 and 411 calls. A proposed two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax would pay for three additional dispatchers and upgraded equipment.
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In response to a quickly growing wildfire in Ocean County, Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning, authorizing officials to implement emergency plans and coordinate recovery efforts.
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A state grant helped pay for the purchase of a drone. It is expected to be of assistance during search and recue operations, looking for hot spots during brush fires, and in helping warn fishermen.
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The company’s newest device for law enforcement combines body camera technology with a microphone that can record different vocal tracks. A company executive explains the appeal of the new AI-backed offering.
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Nationally, 1,405 first responders were reported to have committed suicide since 2018. In response, department heads are implementing mental health and wellness training for police, firefighters and EMTs.
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The fee charged to residents would add millions to the county budget for cleaning canals and waterways and enhancing the stormwater system. Other Florida counties already charge a similar fee.
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As of May 1, neither citizens nor media will be able to monitor 911 channels. The change comes amid a nationwide debate about how to protect the integrity of investigations while balancing the public's right to information.
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Officials in Alabama's Morgan and Limestone counties report that a child playing with a parent's smartphone is the most common cause of an accidental call to 911. Apple Watches' fall detection feature is another culprit.
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Heat played a role in more than 500 deaths in Nevada last year. A legislative committee wants more information on when, where and how many residents are left without AC if they fail to pay when temperatures climb.
