First Responders

A now-deactivated private website published the names, vaccination details and other personal information of almost 5,000 employees of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Firefighters have demanded an investigation.

A Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation error in the calculation of good conduct credits left some prison firefighters with increased sentences, an error that is now being addressed, officials say.

As California faces a drought and another fire season this year, public safety agencies are looking to cutting-edge tech solutions, like drones and satellites, for new ways of putting out flames.

Owensboro-Daviess County 911 dispatch is using new technology to allow callers to send photos and videos during an incident. The tool will help add situational awareness for first responders and could help solve crimes.

The Stillwater, Okla., Police Department is moving to buy body-worn cameras for its officers, which is something that the department and its officials have long said they could not afford to do.

The Texas county’s EMS now includes SPARTAN: a program using drones to assist first responders in various missions to improve public health and safety and give the department a better look at the big picture.

An earthquake warning system that's been 15 years in the making is now available along the entire West Coast, the most earthquake-prone region in the U.S., the United States Geological Survey announced.

Drones are finding their stride in the county, having already been used to find a missing kayaker. They are also being considered by the Flagler Beach Fire Department to deliver life preservers to swimmers.

Not every 911 call will be answered with a drone, but Brookhaven, Ga., police say the project will give its officers more flexibility, availability and information, while limiting in-person contact amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With FirstNet’s designated network in all 50 states and dozens of apps available in its catalog, the niche market for first responders originally envisioned by the 9/11 Commission has come to fruition.

It might seem counterintuitive, but in the public safety space, tech startup entrepreneurs say that big agencies with big budgets might not be the most innovative. Many like the creativity and agility of small agencies.

FirstNet and AT&T distributed 80 FirstNet devices to fire, police and incident response teams to help connect first responders during the Boston Marathon.

The third Internet of Things Civic Hackathon, at the new Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers, brought together around 600 developers and first responders to create technology solutions for public safety.