GeoComm is celebrating its 25-year anniversary enabling public safety grade geographic information system (GIS) data to be used in 9-1-1 systems.

AT&T, the contractor for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), deployed a new tower in Colorado. As a result of the state’s agreement with the FirstNet program, there is a commitment to deploy 33 new towers to enhance mobile coverage for first responders, a state broadband newsletter said.

CTIA officials discussed generally the most recent 9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed testing of 9-1-1 vertical (Z-axis) location technologies, Stage Za, in an FCC filing, but the full report is unavailable to the public.

As public-safety answering points (PSAPs) begin implementing text-to-9-1-1 capabilities, they run into the challenge of answering texts written in languages besides English.

Organizers of the British Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (BAPCO) said the event, held 10 – 11 March, hosted 1,690 public-safety professionals and more than 70 suppliers. More than 1,922 total visitors attended.

The COVID-19 pandemic is piling more burdens on America’s 9-1-1 centers, said the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). For example, many 9-1-1 centers quarantined staff members who showed possible symptoms of COVID-19, exacerbating a chronic workforce shortage, and many have been denied access to emergency resources because they lack “first responder” or “essential” status.

The emergence of COVID-19 has elevated pressure on states and countries that have not yet initiated next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) deployments to expedite rollouts, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan. The possibility of federal funding for NG 9-1-1 tied to coronavirus rescue legislation, which is expected to emphasize infrastructure projects, has the potential to dramatically boost market growth.

The NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (NIOC) announced a request for proposals (RFP) award to tech companies Eonti and DigiCert to operate the Public-Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Credentialing Agency (PCA). This is a key element in building greater trust and interoperability in next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) systems, said the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).

AT&T responded to questions about its comments filed in response to the FCC’s fifth notice of proposed rulemaking in the wireless location accuracy proceeding and its plans to implement technologies to meet the Z-axis benchmarks during an April 20 meeting with FCC officials.

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) rescheduled the NENA 2020 Conference & Expo, previously planned for June 13 – 18, to Sept. 24 – 29 in Long Beach, California.