First Responders

The village is the latest among law enforcement agencies in its state to adopt a records management and dispatch system to let officers spend more time in the field and stay connected with neighboring agencies.

New executive orders seek to boost the use of drones in public safety, mandate the use of AI to speed up the drone waiver process and provide funding opportunities to boost anti-drone tech access.

With the communications department operating at a 35 percent staffing shortage, dispatchers are working overtime and callers may wait up to 20 minutes for emergency assistance.

Prepared, launched in 2019, is gaining ground with its assistive AI tools for emergency dispatchers. Andreessen Horowitz again invested in the young company, known for its livestreaming and translation tech.

The $362 million proposal would largely go to fire suppression and emergency rescue, and EMS, among other areas. The department has racked up deficits from employee overtime prompted by staffing shortages in recent years.

The city is calling for tech companies to send proposals for such a program, via a request for qualifications. In it, officials suggest drones might be first on scene to 911 calls, better informing emergency crews.

The department is the only one in Contra Costa County not currently authorized to administer advanced emergency care like EKG monitoring, cardiac pacing and manual defibrillation.

Flock Safety, a license plate reading tech firm that recently bought a drone company, is taking heat over the data sources for its new platform. It’s not the only law enforcement technology attracting concern.

First responder groups are urging Gov. Kim Reynolds to veto the bill, under which the state Homeland Security and Emergency Management could request reimbursement from local 911 service boards for "reasonable costs" related to call traffic to public safety answering points.

Complete with screaming bystanders and fake blood, Van Buren Tech hosted its 20th annual mock mass casualty event, giving students a chance to practice their police, fire and EMT skills in a realistic setting.

The agency is seeking feedback on its idea to bring more precision to emergency call locations in hopes of helping first responders. The proposal reflects larger trends in the public safety space.

The system will help find missing adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Since 2023 the state has been working to ensure the reporting system is easy to use for dispatchers, first responders and the public.

The 85-acre complex, which will be home to operational training exercises and classroom work for police, firefighters and 911 dispatchers, has been met with protests and lawsuits since it was announced in 2021.

The emergency dispatch center in Walla Walla currently fields both 911 and 411 calls. A proposed two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax would pay for three additional dispatchers and upgraded equipment.

To drastically cut response times to people needing help on remote trails, the Seminole County Fire Department created an internal app using lay-of-the-land expertise and countywide collaboration.

A state grant helped pay for the purchase of a drone. It is expected to be of assistance during search and recue operations, looking for hot spots during brush fires, and in helping warn fishermen.

The company’s newest device for law enforcement combines body camera technology with a microphone that can record different vocal tracks. A company executive explains the appeal of the new AI-backed offering.

Nationally, 1,405 first responders were reported to have committed suicide since 2018. In response, department heads are implementing mental health and wellness training for police, firefighters and EMTs.