First Responders

A rescue helicopter spotted the hiker shortly after 4:30 p.m. and lowered a rescuer to him. The rescuer guided the hiker to an area to be airlifted, and he was safely flown to Waiau District Park, according to rescuers.

A system designed to amplify classroom audio can now be equipped with safety buttons that provide teachers with a one-touch ability to notify office personnel if something is amiss.

In a statement, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the adjustments to the federal cost share are an extension of the Biden-Harris administration's and FEMA's commitments to support long-term recovery.

The rare weather event left toppled trees and power lines, mangled awnings and pulverized concrete in its wake, even shutting off power to thousands, as debris littered much of Grover Beach.

“Do not let your guard down,” Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, said Tuesday during a briefing in Los Angeles. “There could still be some very significant impacts.”

With potentially record-breaking rainfall predicted for Sunday and Monday, Los Angeles and its neighboring counties were well-prepared, having endured a storm of similar magnitude in January 2023.

The most recent earthquake means at least 106 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Gusts up to 80 mph are also anticipated in the highest peaks of the Santa Lucia Range and San Benito County mountains. A flood watch is in effect from the North Bay to Big Sur until at least Monday morning.

"Our public safety team members are extremely essential to our community and we want them to know how much they mean to us. It's important for us to invest in attracting and retaining the best people."

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.