First Responders
Concerned that 9-1-1 systems begun more than 50 years ago might be in danger of growing outdated, U.S. Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2023 last week to rally for modernization.
Communications have changed dramatically in the past... Read More »
Working to increase information access for first responders, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) this week partnered with emergency management agencies in Sumner County, Tenn., to pilot a new emergency dispatching system complete with AskRail data.
AskRail was a frontline tool for first... Read More »
The Senate took the first step to extend federal programs supporting local fire departments nationwide this week, voting to advance the Fire Grants and Safety Act out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Now the bill heads to the full Senate. There, the remainder... Read More »
Hitting back at a group suing the U.S. Forest Service to block the use of fire retardant nationwide without an exemption permit under the Clean Water Act, U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) introduced new legislation to make that exemption standard.
Currently, agencies... Read More »
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced this summer's 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit.
The June 28 to June 30, 2023, event in San Diego, Calif., will unite leaders from public safety,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) recently introduced legislation that seeks to aid local fire departments with staffing, equipment, training, and emergency medical services improvement needs.
Specifically, the Fire Grants and... Read More »
Lawmakers are commending Senate approval of a measure they said seeks to aid first responders in coping with the stresses of responding to crisis situations.
U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) joined eight colleagues in co-sponsoring the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) recently reintroduced legislation seeking to aid in addressing law enforcement workforce challenges while bolstering recruitment initiatives.
The Recruit and Retain Act would increase officer... Read More »
With the introduction of the Fire Grants and Safety Act in the Senate this week, a bipartisan collection of lawmakers sought to extend federal programs that support local fire departments, including two grant programs and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) at large.
Without an... Read More »
In a bicameral move, U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and David Trone (D-MD) introduced the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act last week to create a federal program providing local governments with resources to purchase containment devices for narcotics and offer training to first... Read More »
Seeking to increase preparedness for wildfires and reduce the risks they pose, a bipartisan group of senators this week introduced the Wildfire Emergency Act, using it to push for funding, new programs, and greater firefighter training efforts.
“Wildfires throughout Western states,... Read More »
The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC) has received a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
The two-year, $839,380 funding allotment would support firefighter recruitment and retention. The NCAFC is partnering... Read More »
Through an Executive Summary of the U.S. Fire Administrator’s report, released this week, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has put out both a warning of the dangers posed by growing wildfire issues and a series of recommendations and strategies for fighting back.
The USFA is a component of... Read More »
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a reference material based on baker’s yeast cells – a harmless yet living biological material – that they intend to use for training first responders on biothreats.
“Suspicious powder incidents occur... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced a collaboration with Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) based in Rowly, Mass., which resulted in the development of SDS Outdoor, a portable Gunshot Detection System technology to aid law... Read More »
Particularly in the last few years, across several high-profile cases, police in the United States have come under heavy scrutiny for their use of force, and recently, a bill known as the PEACE Act was introduced to reform federal standards permitting the use of lethal force.
Released as a... Read More »
In a tour of local fire stations, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) used this week as an opportunity to promote new legislation that would renew federal grants programs supporting local fire departments in Michigan and beyond and expand their capabilities.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line... Read More »
New York state officials are touting a newly enacted measure that addresses violent crimes against police officers.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed S.772A/A.6318B to establish a Blue Alert system aiding the identification, location, and apprehension of individuals suspected of killing or... Read More »
The Charlotte, N.C., Fire Department recently announced that it has ordered an all-electric Vector fire truck, expected to be the first-of-its-kind operating in the state.
The order was placed with fire apparatus manufacturer Spartan Emergency Response, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc.
“We... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) recently touted the passage of his legislation, the FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency (FIRE) Act, which now heads to the president's desk for signature.
The measure was co-sponsored by six Senate colleagues and is designed to strengthen Federal Emergency... Read More »
With its passage in the House last week, the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act cleared its final legislative hurdle after having passed the Senate last summer.
If President Joe Biden signs the bills as expected, it will require federal agencies to create best practices,... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have signed an agreement to improve law enforcement in Indian Country.
“The FBI is committed to ongoing, and continued collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The... Read More »
First Responder Network (FirstNet) officials are espousing the benefits of delivering more coverage and boosting capacity for Rhode Island first responders and the communities they serve.
Authorities noted FirstNet, built with AT&T, serves as the only nationwide, high-speed broadband... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) applauded the recent House of Representatives advancement of the FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency (FIRE) Act, which seeks to improve wildfire preparedness and... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) is commending a Department of Justice (DOJ) allocation of $201,480 to Camden County to fund local community policing initiatives in south Jersey.
The grant, awarded through the DOJ’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, would provide... Read More »
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) officials are espousing the benefits of efforts resulting in bolstered connectivity capacity for Oklahoma first responders and the communities they serve.
FirstNet, which AT&T built nationwide, is a high-speed broadband communications platform... Read More »
Building on companion legislation in the Senate, a new bill introduced into the House last week seeks to boost federal resources for local fire departments throughout the United States and reauthorize existing funds for staffing, equipment, training, and emergency services.
The Fire Grants and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to revamp the Community Lifeline Construct program to better standardize and integrate community resources systems, and it’s using a more than $1.9 million contract with G&H International Services, Inc. to achieve it.
G&H will design,... Read More »
A series of expanded initiatives for the New York City subways were announced last week as part of a joint effort between the State of New York and New York City to crack down on transit crime through traditional law enforcement means and community psychiatric care.
This will equate to a massive... Read More »
In the wake of the House of Representatives advancing the Invest to Protect Act, U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and John Rutherford (R-FL) are urging a Senate vote on the measure.
The legislators recently forwarded correspondence to Senate leadership urging them to bring their bill to the... Read More »
A new effort to crackdown on organized retail crime put domestic and transnational criminal organizations in the crosshairs of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) this week, with the beginning of Operation Boiling Point.
Working alongside industry partners, as well as federal, state, and... Read More »
All 19 of Delaware’s public school districts and charter schools will benefit from a nearly $1 million investment effort from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) to improve school mapping, threat assessment and reporting applications.
These efforts are meant to strengthen school... Read More »
Thanks to funds from the State Homeland Security Program, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week that $9 million of federal funds would aid 77 communities in the pursuit of equipment, training, critical infrastructure security and more.
"New York's homeland security capabilities will be... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Cindy Axne (D-IA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Al Lawson (D-FL), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and Marc Veasey (D-TX) recently introduced the Supporting Our First Responders Act, which seeks to enhance emergency medical services (EMS) agency support.
The... Read More »
While much of what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deals with are natural disasters, a new bill – the Technological Hazards Preparedness and Training Act (S.4166) – advanced through the Senate last week seeks to expand its ability to address technological hazards as... Read More »
