First Responders

Lemonade, a digital insurance firm, will offer drivers of connected vehicles an app that can confirm crashes and send data to emergency responders via RapidSOS. The move comes as connected vehicles gain popularity.

The seller of gunshot detection tech had sued VICE Media for defamation after the claim was published in a Chicago case. The suit has been dismissed, but VICE has issued an editor’s note on the story.

Tech exists to more accurately route 911 calls from phones to the correct 911 communications center, but Verizon — one of the three major carriers in the U.S. — has refused to install it in Denver and other regions.

The product, called the Gateway, is designed to bridge the gap between new and old emergency call technology. The joint software launch from the two companies comes amid larger improvements for 911 communications.

The seller of cloud-based software recently rebranded and now says it is dealing with increased demand for its technology. The capital will go toward product development and winning new markets and customers.

As wildfires become more frequent and intense, this project — along with other recent efforts — shows how the gov tech industry is helping to limit damage. Nighttime detection also is becoming a higher priority.

The app, developed by Amazon subsidiary Ring, allows departments to view and share information with users. More than 2,700 departments are using the service around the country as of mid-June 2022.

A $17 million effort to expand smart intersection technology across St. Charles County will give automatic right of way to first responders en route to an emergency. Around 210 of the more than 350 lights have the technology.

According to one estimate, thousands of lives are lost each year due to misrouted 911 calls. Now a large dispatch technology provider has introduced new capabilities to avoid those errors using device GPS.

The agency is working with a popular freelancing website to host a competition to work in augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things sensors and more into modern, virtual command centers for emergency response.

The two gov tech companies said a new deal would help unify record management with other tasks for first responders. The move is among the latest evidence of the ongoing digital shift in public safety.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce plans to allocate $30 million to the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) when he unveils California’s revised budget on Friday, May 13.

Officials in the state believe that new technology will be an essential tool in predicting future fire disasters, which may be more common along Colorado's Front Range than previously thought.

First responders — from police to firemen — in Amherst, N.Y., often have trouble communicating during emergencies when they're only 100 feet away from each other. The town wants COVID-19 dollars to change that.

The company hopes to gain revenue by offering upgrades to the free software offered to emergency dispatch agencies. The funding round comes as NG911 work gains more investor and public interest.

The company, which sells computer-aided dispatch tech, says triage for 911 calls can reduce pressure on first responders. A program in Rochester, N.Y., also shows the potential for costs savings for public agencies.

First responders in Jefferson County, N.Y., are now using an upgraded and improved public safety radio system. The project was constructed over 10 years, and the county saved $15 million in the process.

The Richmond, Va.-based startup has spun off, in simple terms, its technology business from its creative business. The company focuses on local police and fire departments but also serves other municipal agencies.