Daily Dispatch - Emerging Issues

Columns

Emerging Issues | Leadership Messages |Authors | Blog: Key UP

URGENT: CALL-TO-ACTION - We Need Your Help - Please Contact Your Two U.S. Senators TODAY
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:12/15/2011
The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Public Safety Alliance urge you contact your two US Senators to ask them to support S. 911 (the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011), a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators John “Jay” Rockefeller, IV and Kay Bailey Hutchison which allocates the D Block of spectrum directly to public safety, provides sufficient funding, and establishes an effective governance structure to construct and oversee a nationwide public safety wireless broadband network. read more

Call to Action – Critical D Block Vote - We Need Your Help TODAY
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:12/13/2011
Urgent: Call-to-Action: We Need Your Immediate Help! Critical Vote on D Block Scheduled for TODAY. The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Public Safety Alliance urge you to reach out to all of your friends, family and colleagues within your state and across the country and ask them to join you in contacting their Representatives and Senators to support D Block with sufficient funding. read more

NFPA: Focus on protecting families from fire this Fire Prevention Week
author:National Fire Protection Association
published:10/09/2011
Public safety professionals know that when a fire occurs in a home, damage to property is of little importance in comparison to the well-being of the people who live there. As long as each person gets out unharmed, nothing else really matters. Fire Prevention Week runs through October 15 and this year’s theme is about keeping families in the community safer from fire. read more

Call to Action – Critical D Block Vote on Tuesday
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:9/29/2011
On October 4, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is expected to consider spectrum legislation. This legislation will set up the governance body and authorize some funding to establish a wireless broadband network for public safety. Unfortunately, this bill -- in its current form -- will not allocate the 10 MHz of the D Block to public safety, so public safety will not have the spectrum that we need to build an effective network. An amendment will be offered to fix this bill and allocate the D Block to public safety. read more

U.S. Responders Invited to Join Vice President Biden on Conference Call - TODAY at 4 P.M. Eastern
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:9/09/2011
Call in Today to be a Part of the Conversation on America's Job Act: Following President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress, Vice President Biden is inviting American fire service personnel to join him for a conference call on Monday, September 12 to discuss the Administration’s commitment to keeping firefighters on the job. The Vice President's Office has asked the IAFC to share this information with its members to ensure responders across the country have the opportunity to participate. read more

Communications Problems During Hurricane Irene? IAFC Needs Your Story
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:9/01/2011
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is in search of communications failures for public safety cell phones or commercial data network failures during Hurricane Irene and the subsequent tropical storm. The IAFC and the public safety community are looking for examples which we can use with Congress to illustrate the need for a nationwide mission critical public safety network which will not fail or become overloaded during emergencies. read more

Earthquake Communications Failures??? IAFC needs your help.
author:Jeff Johnson
published:8/24/2011
If your department experienced communications problems with your Commercial Data Network (Verizon, ATT, Sprint etc.) following yesterday's earthquake, the IAFC's D-Block team needs to hear your story. This request does not include voice communications over your core Land Mobile Radio network but specifically, the data network associated with commercial wireless carriers. read more

IAFC launches survey of smartphone and tablet use by first responders
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:7/20/2011
The IAFC is inviting all first responders to take part in a survey to measure the use of mobile devices and apps in the fire and emergency service. These results will help the IAFC in shaping future development and adoption of new tools for delivering information, training, resources and solutions. read more

Fire Chiefs Urged to Call Members of House Energy and Commerce Committee in Support of D Block Allocation to Public Safety
author:The International Association of Fire Chiefs
published:6/22/2011
Now the House Energy and Commerce Committee members reportedly are discussing how to proceed regarding a public safety broadband network. This committee has jurisdiction over the D Block issue in the House of Representatives, so it will have a major influence on our efforts. Below are the Representatives that are on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. If you live in their district or state, please contact their offices and let them know that you support H.R. 607, the Broadband for First Responders Act. read more