First Responders

NextGen TV, pagers transmit enhanced emergency data to responders

A field test of digital broadcast TV and prototype pagers is giving responders across North Carolina access to audio, images, video and GIS data.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

3 applications driving 5G in public safety

5G’s network capacity, internet-of-things support and low latency will power the emerging technologies responders have been waiting for.

  • By Thomas Rehberg

VR trains responders for mass casualty events

Conducting a disaster response training program can be costly and time-consuming, but a virtual reality simulation can train multiple employees at once and provide performance assessments.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Drones on the front lines in public safety operations

Drone networks that allow seamless communication among devices, first responders and dispatch centers enhance public safety operations.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

What responders really want from their tech

Communications technology is going to sit on the shelf if it’s not reliable, interoperable and user friendly.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

NIST cooks up modified yeast for responder biothreat training

The yeast reference material has qualities similar to harmful biological agents, enabling first responders to practice detecting biothreats.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Delivering emergency alerts to vehicle infotainment systems

Drivers may soon receive real-time emergency and fire alerts and improved evacuation routing on their vehicles' infotainment systems.

  • By Frank Konkel

All eyes on the FCC as deadline for 911 overhaul approaches

By enforcing its z-axis requirements and moving toward nationwide deployment, the Federal Communications Commission can fundamentally transform national emergency response.

  • By Charles L. Werner

Sensor array maps a first responder's location, movements

A prototype developed at MIT can automatically map a hazardous environment as a responder moves through it.

  • By John Breeden II

My other car is a smart phone

Cisco wants to network and IP-enable vehicles, which could be a boon for emergency response crews, among others.

  • By Greg Crowe

Cloud mapping tools to aid first responders during disasters

Esri's GIS public information maps will be made accessible on Microsoft's cloud-based disaster portal.

  • By GCN Staff

Unified comm is the next step in 911's evolution

The FCC and Transportation Department are working to establish a transition path to the next generation of 911 services.

  • By William Jackson

DHS R&D program has a disconnect with first responders' needs, House panel told

The department has a program to help develop technology for first responders, but matching the money with state and local agencies' requirements has proved difficult.

  • By William Jackson

Crash analytics: How data can help eliminate highway deaths

Highway safety groups' strategy, called Toward Zero Deaths, is ambitious, but data analytics combined with the "Four Es" make it possible.

  • By Melissa Savage
Featured eBooks

DARPA's $40K 'quest' tests social media's ability to help in emergency

The CLIQR Quest Challenge asks participants to use their social media skills to locate QR codes that represent resources crews would need in an emergency.

  • By Kevin McCaney

Emergency alert system expands to mobile phones

The Commercial Mobile Alert System, a national network for delivering emergency notices to phones by text, is scheduled to be operational in April.

  • By William Jackson

TSA piggybacks on Coast Guard emergency alert systems

When the Transportation Security Administration needed to upgrade its emergency alert system, it opted to use the system already in place for its sister agency the Coast Guard.

  • By William Jackson

In case of emergency, send text (fire crews will get there sooner)

The Farmington, N.M., Fire Department uses the Remote Print Manager to translate dispatch data into text messages, adding a quick, reliable channel for emergency response.

  • By William Jackson

Emergency text response: When alerts become spam

Text messaging is an effective aid to emergency dispatching for one New Mexico fire department, but you should be careful not to abuse the service.

  • By William Jackson

FCC shoots down LightSquared's plans for satellite network

Ruling comes after NTIA report concludes there is "no practical way" to solve the problem of GPS interference at the moment.

  • By Kevin McCaney

FBI wants social media intell scanner

The Web-based tool would scan social media sites and commercial news outlets to help stay ahead of unfolding crises.

  • By GCN Staff