Communications

Five state and local 911 networks test federal program

Five local and state government-operated Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) are participating in the proof of concept phase of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Next Generation 911 (NG 911) Initiative....

Out of Tune

By: By Donny Jackson

When the FCC tried to fix a twisted public safety communications network, they found the lines were hard to unravel....

IAFC seeks input on digital radio problem

The Fairfax, Va.-based International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) needs input from members who have experienced problems with unintelligible transmissions while using digital two-way portable radios....

Toll officials crack down on violators

By: Annie Gentile

Electronic toll collection systems help ease highway traffic, improve safety and reduce costs for toll road operators. But, because drivers using electronic...

Locals want to help residents turn on DTV

By: Jennifer Grzeskowiak

By Feb. 17, 2009, TV broadcasters will begin sending programming only as digital signals, which means TV sets that use antennas to receive over-the-air...

Seaside supervision

By: Deanna Hart

By the end of the 1960s, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., lifeguards responded to emergencies using beach phones at 22 reporting stations along the southern Florida...

High-tech crime fighting

By: Chief Rodney Monroe, Richmond, Va., Police Department

Project: Crime prediction and prevention Jurisdiction: Richmond, Va. Agency: Police Department Vendor: Chicago-based SPSS; New York-based Information...

Connecting the pieces

By: By Kim A. O'Connell

In 2004, a man and his wife drove an SUV across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland, seeming to enjoy the scenery like countless other travelers. The...

Protecting and serving

When domestic violence victims request protection orders against their abusers in Kane County, Ill., they can expect police protection almost immediately....

Ads aim at gun data

By: By Meredith Preston

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is digging into his own wallet to help launch an ad campaign designed to pressure Congress to reject a provision that...

Solving true crimes

By: By Doug Mamroth

Television dramas have contributed to the public's perception that high-speed chases and shoot-outs thwart lawbreakers. However, in reality, most crimes...

All together now

By: By Timothy Miller

The last thing anyone wants in an emergency is confusion among the professionals responding to it. But, that often happens when several public safety...

Talk to me

By: By Lynn Peisner

While terrorist acts on U.S. soil notoriously exposed weaknesses in the way governments and first-responders communicate and operate, many other challenges...