First Responders

Axon announced its acquisition of 911 tech provider Prepared earlier this year. This new $625 million buyout of the emergency dispatch and communications tech firm is meant to help Axon craft a public safety ecosystem.

NERIS is set to replace a 50-year-old emergency incident reporting program on a Jan. 1 nationwide rollout. The new system has presented business opportunities for suppliers of government technology.

A new after-action report from the Los Angeles Police Department says poor coordination with the Fire Department contributed to evacuation delays and chaos during the Palisades Fire in January.

Currently the city spends over $1 million a year on EMS transport for its frequent 911 callers, most of whom have a mental health diagnosis. The iPads will connect them with help, relieving strain on first responders.

As part of National First Responders Day, Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted new initiatives including a program that aims to assist public safety agencies to create or improve their own responder wellness efforts.

The idea behind the new technology is to enable quicker emergency response in case of school shootings or weapons threats. The effort reflects larger trends in public safety and government technology.

Long considered more of an Eastern Washington issue, the head of the state Department of Natural Resources said Monday that about 40 percent of the fires this season were in the western part of the state.

The supplier of public safety technology, which sells AI-based gun detection tools, has launched "aerial detection kits." The company joins peers that have already taken to the skies via drones.

In a significant upgrade of care for patients who have suffered blood loss, paramedics can now provide whole blood rather than saline. Only about 1 percent of the country's EMS agencies carry whole blood.

The program, a partnership among law enforcement in Grant County and Moses Lake, Wash., as well as the county's behavioral health organization, sends mental health professionals with police to respond to people in crisis.

This was the second year of the DARPA Triage Challenge grant program, which saw teams test their AI-driven bots in disaster scenarios to help assess which victims need assistance and communicate that to first responders.

In light of a shortage of firefighters throughout Connecticut, Northeast Fire-Rescue provides emergency medical services to communities that are having difficulties responding to 911 emergencies due to low volunteer membership.

The 70-page report from the Los Angeles Fire Department details challenges during response to the January Palisades Fire including staffing shortages and intense winds, as well as how it is planning for future events.

The state will partner with SkyfireAI and CAL Analytics on a two-year pilot program to develop policies and training around the use of drones by first responders, and to assess how they can improve situational awareness.

The communications giant has rolled out a priority 5G slice, a 50 percent bigger drone fleet, satellite texting and more deployables aimed at keeping first responders connected throughout emergencies.

The deal reflects the growing use of artificial intelligence in the public safety space, and combines a hardware supplier with a young firm focused on artificial intelligence. Prepared has raised more than $130 million.

The deal, reportedly worth at least $800 million, supposedly is in “advanced” talks. Such a deal would reflect the robust state of the public safety tech business, and the attracting quality of AI.

The public safety tech provider has teamed with two other companies to help route non-emergency calls from motorists away from busy 911 call centers. The move reflects larger trends in public safety tech.