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March 6, 2013

News for emergency communications and response professionals

Making the Call

NENA warns public against 1-1-2 rumors
NENA officials are trying to get the word out that social media posts suggesting the European 1-1-2 emergency number will get domestic callers preferential treatment are false and misleading, since dialing 1-1-2 does not always work in the U.S. "In an emergency, 9-1-1 is the number to call in the U.S. and Canada," says NENA Communications Director Chris Nussman. Some U.S. carriers will transfer 1-1-2 calls to the 9-1-1 system but not all have that ability, so there is "no guarantee that [dialing 1-1-2] will work," said NENA CEO Brian Fontes in a statement. Read more from NENA. Urgent Communications (2/26)

First Calif. Smart9-1-1 system established
Culver City, Calif., launched a Smart9-1-1 system this week, making it the first city in the state to use the technology that allows members of the public to create a personal safety profile that 9-1-1 dispatchers can access during a call. Culver City Mayor Andrew Weissman says the system will improve response times and save lives. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration)/City News Service (3/4)

Policy Pulse

Prank 9-1-1 calls could be felony under Minn. bill
Prank 9-1-1 calls made to lure first responders to a specific site could lead to felony charges if someone is seriously injured, under a bill in the Minnesota Legislature. Simply making a 9-1-1 call without an emergency would be considered a misdemeanor. Duluth News Tribune (Minn.)/The Associated Press (3/3)

FCC: Create incentives for Next Generation 9-1-1 adoption
The Federal Communications Commission is calling on Congress to authorize federal incentives that could spur states to compete for Next Generation 9-1-1 projects. The recommendation was packaged in an FCC report issued in response to a congressional request for ways to move the 9-1-1 system to Internet-based technologies. Reuters (2/27)

Innovation Insights

Device aims to improve firefighters' ability to spot people amid flames
Thermal sensors used by firefighters to find people and pets in burning buildings can be overwhelmed by infrared radiation, but Italian scientists are testing a potential solution. A report in the journal Optics Express said a lensless device that employs digital holography can see through flames and provide firefighters with 3D images of moving human beings. The Atlantic Cities (3/5)

FiRST Sharing Service app to make data exchange easier
Applied Research Associates is developing an enhanced First Responder Support Tools application known as the FiRST Sharing Service for the Department of Homeland Security. It is designed to make data sharing easier by allowing organizations to assign users and arrange sharing rights with outside systems. TMCNet.com (3/1)

NENA News

FCC issues report to Congress on the legal and regulatory framework for NG9-1-1 services
On behalf of more than 6,000 9-1-1 call centers across America and our members who lead and staff them, NENA is pleased that the FCC’s Report to Congress on Next Generation 9-1-1 adopts many of NENA’s recommendations. The commission's report was required by the Next Generation 9-1-1 Improvement Act of 2012, which was enacted as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
At NENA’s upcoming 9-1-1 Goes to Washington, March 17-20, our grassroots members will be visiting Members of Congress and stressing the importance of further federal action to speed the nationwide development of a more powerful, IP-based 9-1-1 system.

Learn more about NENA ->

The 9-1-1 Association | Join NENA | Conferences & Events

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