First Responders

So-called “TASER drones” have been proposed as one way to secure schools. An interview with the CEO of public safety tech vendor Axon illustrates how the situation is more complicated than deploying armed robots.

The San Antonio-based startup company Darkhive last year won $1 million in pre-seed funding as it shopped around small, 3D-printed drones.

The deal with Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe marks the latest signal of interest in the gov tech market by private equity. ImageTrend sells software to public safety and health organizations.

Convey911, founded last year, pulled in an investment round led by a former CEO of Lexipol. The company provides both human and machine translation for 911 and other dispatch-type public services.

The company has raised $87 million since its founding in 2013. Its technology helps emergency dispatch centers get a better fix on calls — and helps power the new 988 suicide prevention hotline.

A private equity firm will take over the Canada-based software provider that sells incident response, case management and other tools to law enforcement. Magnet then will combine with another company.

The move provides delivery workers with immediate access to emergency dispatchers with tools already used by public agencies. RapidSOS hopes to win other such deals within the gig economy as it continues to grow.

Following the release of a report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation about police technology risks, experts in the space shared insights into what is hype and reality with new policing tools.

After stepping away from a decade of public safety technology leadership, Davis will write about challenges in law enforcement while eyeing a return to the industry. He describes what the public safety future might hold.

Rave Mobile Safety offers such services as incident alerts and emergency preparation, and will boost Motorola’s own public safety tech offerings. Rave is used by governments, schools and other public agencies.

ShotSpotter bought Forensic Logic earlier this year and now runs the COPLINK X search engine. In a social media post, Davis recounted the 10 years helming the firm and what it meant to work in the public safety sector.

A new upgrade to the city-county 911 dispatch center in Owensboro, Ky., will allow law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction there to communicate via Wi-Fi on their portable radios when inside buildings.

The deal, involving the new national suicide hotline, is the company’s first such statewide contract. The announcement foreshadows over gov tech business developments for the latest emergency dispatch option in the U.S.

Around the Bay Area, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake lit up phones equipped with apps plugged into ShakeAlert, the U.S. Geological Survey’s earthquake early warning system, putting it to the test regionally.

The funding round was led by NightDragon, whose founder is a seasoned cybersecurity executive. The fresh capital comes amid strong activity in the gov tech sector — and some signs of potential slowdowns.

The training consists of 10 virtual active shooting scenarios in environments like airports, schools and courthouses, meant to better prepare emergency crews for a variety of situations through a video game engine.

The company aims to help emergency responders move past whiteboards and paper maps and adopt real-time, 3D technology. The investment comes as lessons emerge from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

San Luis Obispo County will receive $5.6 million of federal money to improve communications systems used by emergency responders for fire, crime and medical emergencies, lawmakers have announced.