First Responders

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.

The communications gear company, fresh off a Q4 revenue gain, wants to help first responders better communicate via smartphones. The move reflects the technology changes taking place among police and fire professionals.

After years of public outcry and calls for fresh approaches to policing, a new crisis response research tool from the software vendor aims to improve responses to mental and behavioral emergencies.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that a partnership between the New York Power Authority and AT&T will pilot FirstNet as a wireless LTE solution. The project aims to enhance the state's emergency response.

Through investment and integration, Honeywell will work with RapidSOS to improve data access for dispatchers and improve emergency response times. The move highlights the increasing appeal of public safety technology.

If the Oregon cities of Astoria and Seaside decided to consolidate their emergency dispatch centers into one countywide center, challenges like interoperability and staff shortages could finally be addressed.

The latest surge in COVID-19 cases has put a big strain on both public safety and health services in San Francisco. As a result, officials only want residents to call 911 if there’s a clear life-threatening emergency.

The deals come after the company, already big in human resources software, absorbed fresh capital from private equity firms. NEOGOV plans more moves to gain public safety business as departments upgrade digital tools.

First responders, emergency dispatchers and public safety technology vendors are preparing to deal with a cold reality: Much less federal funding for 911 upgrades than needed or expected. What happens next for response times and innovation?

The product release comes as more departments seek out augmented and virtual reality technology to sharpen the skills of first responders. That has led to more money flowing into this growing area of gov tech.

As artificial intelligence gains ground among governments, firefighters and other first responders could soon depend much more upon the technology. As the market grows, various companies are gearing up in different ways.

The latest in a string of acquisitions for the Canadian public safety tech company reflects the push to upgrade emergency dispatch services as well as the hot M&A market for government technology.

When an elderly man with dementia wandered from his home in Pennsylvania, it had the makings of a long day for the police and fire department crews, but officials say a drone was instrumental in finding him quickly.

Cyber criminals could take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes to wreak havoc on critical infrastructure, including transportation, emergency response, water systems and hospitals.

The fresh capital will help Comtech Telecommunications continue building its networks and upgrading emergency dispatch services. The investment coincides with the rising popularity of cloud-based dispatch tools.

A new radar system promises to improve weather predictions, providing additional warning time to prevent flooding and more accurate forecasts for heavy rainfall, down to a specific low-lying highway or neighborhood.

The Big Sky Fire Department, located in the community of Big Sky, Mont., is testing out Pano's AI wildfire detection technology to help increase fire visibility and improve response efforts.

The automated voice messaging system meant to alert fire stations to incoming emergency calls is not working properly. A 911 dispatcher is now dedicated to calling stations to make sure fire staff don’t miss emergency calls.