First Responders

A new bill introduced in the Senate, and a companion House bill, would reclassify 911 dispatchers as first responders, giving them increased benefits like access to mental health services.

The provider of body cameras and Tasers to police is making a push into retail and health care via a new product line. That move comes amid larger changes in public safety tech.

The company has launched new product tiers, with features that include audio processing and artificial intelligence. Prepared recently completed a Series A funding round with a VC heavyweight.

The gov tech firm has announced its highest sales ever for its BolaWrap product. It’s part of a larger trend among agencies and their tech providers to respond to changing police practices and citizen expectations.

As hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes grow in strength and frequency, first responders are increasingly adopting new digital tools like drones and integrated dispatch systems to improve response.

Public safety is among the hottest areas in gov tech, and JonPaul Augier had a big role in helping to modernize the largest fire department in the U.S. He offers lessons and a look ahead in an exit interview.

Orleans Parish has become an early adopter of a new Carbyne 911 translation platform, reflecting a larger trend in public safety. What lessons have been learned so far, and what might happen next?

When emergency notifications weren't as effective as they needed to be during wildfire season, Spokane emergency dispatchers worked with county GIS as well as a new app that pushes out more accurate information faster.

Greater Sum Ventures, whose history includes the gov tech company now called Catalis, aims to provide "end-to-end" tools for public safety professionals. The field is already crowded with Axon, Motorola and others.

The company, known for Tasers and body cameras, says detailed analysis of officer-involved fatal shootings could lead to better training and non-lethal technology. The database goes into minute detail about fatalities.

St. Charles County is set to spend $12 million on upgrades to the technology at its 911 center, including both hardware and software changes set to be completed by mid-2025, officials said.

The latest funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and included Google’s AI investment arm. The money will go toward expanding Prepared’s workforce in engineering and other areas as it grows its paid offerings.

The gov tech vendor is working with DATAMARK to provide emergency responders with more access to GIS data and experts. The move reflects the growing interest in GIS to improve state and local operations.

A new testing program involving public safety tech vendor Axon and Dedrone seeks to find out. The goal? Win approvals for drones that fly beyond the visual line of sight, which could improve emergency responses.

Nothing is getting easier about being a CIO, not with climate change and ransomware and other problems that require big, coordinated tech responses. A new report seeks to prepare state tech leaders for what’s to come.

Early intervention software is getting more sophisticated, with wellness dashboards and other features. In this era of heightened police-community tension, can these tools make the job both more accountable and attractive?

The gov tech vendor announced an integration with EagleView that will allow more access to geospatial data for first responders. Governments are increasingly looking to geospatial tools for more tasks.

The new Everbridge 360 joins an increasingly crowded field where companies are racing to produce better dashboards. This new product offers upgrades and what the company calls a “unified view” of critical event management.