| News for emergency communications and response professionals |  |
| Making the Call |  |  |
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- New York City emergency officials take stock after Sandy
Superstorm Sandy brought unprecedented challenges for emergency management officials and first responders in New York City who had to deal with severe flooding, fires, a crippled subway system and power outages. Officials are talking about what changes might be made to better prepare for the next disaster, especially as it relates to hospitals, nursing homes and vulnerable neighborhoods. Daily News (New York)
(11/24)     
- Wind farms present challenges to Ohio first responders
Emergency responders in Urbana, Ohio, are learning about the operations of wind turbines and generating facilities, but Fire Chief Mark Keller told the Ohio Power Siting Board they do not have the equipment or training to conduct a rescue at the top of a turbine. During a hearing on the Buckeye Wind II project, 9-1-1 Dispatch Center Director Mindy North said she was concerned turbines could interfere with cellphone signals and emergency communication towers. Urbana Daily Citizen (Ohio)
(11/26)
| Policy Pulse | | |
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- FCC hearings to explore improvements in emergency communications
The Federal Communications Commission said it will hold hearings across the country next year on how to avoid widespread communications outages among first responders, other emergency officials and the public during emergencies such as Superstorm Sandy. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said while 9-1-1 systems mostly remained operational during the storm, the hearing will look for new technologies that might make them more effective during disasters. NJ.com (Hackensack, N.J.)/The Associated Press
(11/22)
- Ala. emergency communications district sues over 9-1-1 fees
The Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Communications District in Alabama has filed a lawsuit against Knology to force it to pay 9-1-1 emergency fees on every phone capable of calling 9-1-1. The case is similar to one against AT&T in 2006 that clarified questions about what constitutes a phone line, and officials say more than 100 other emergency communications districts could join the lawsuit from six other states. AL.com (Alabama)
(11/26)
| Innovation Insights | | |
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- Pa. launches Yellow Dot, new database for emergency information
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has implemented the Yellow Dot program and created a new database to allow people to enter emergency contact information to be used by first responders. Yellow Dot includes a yellow envelope to store medical and contact information inside a vehicle's glove box, and a sticker on the rear window to alert first responders. GovTech.com
(11/26)
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