News

Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster

• 19th May 2022

Since the first full time fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853, emergency responders have raced into unknown scenarios with limited advance information when the firehouse bell rings—until now. Among the many advancements of next-generation 911 dispatch systems, Smart911, an app developed by Rave Mobile Safety, automatically displays resident profiles during an emergency—including details […]

Philanthropic group to launch assistance portal for local admins navigating federal bureaucracy

• 17th May 2022

A joint venture announced Tuesday by a group of philanthropic organizations—in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities (NLC) and Results for America—seeks to help small and mid-sized communities secure their piece of the $550 billion in funding available for local governments navigating federal bureaucracy. The digital portal will launch […]

Report: Nearly 95 percent of America’s mayors face harassment, threats and violence

• 16th May 2022

In today’s divided socioeconomic landscape—one that’s rife with political angst—harassment of mayors has become commonplace, especially against minority leaders. Women mayors and mayors of color face more frequent and acute incidents of harassment and violence, according to new research from the advocacy organizations Equity Agenda and the Mayors Innovation Project. Nearly half of all women mayors […]

Report: Almost half of public sector retirees don’t touch their retirement plans for a decade

• 13th May 2022

Once retired, nearly half of public sector employees aren’t taking any action with their defined contribution retirement plan funds for at least a decade, according to research from Mission Square Research Institute, which included the analysis of more than 100,000 public service data records. In their first ten years of retirement, researchers found that 48 […]

Victims of Surfside condo collapse settle for nearly $1B in class action lawsuit

• 13th May 2022

Nearly $1 billion—that’s how much victims of last year’s Surfside, Fla. condo collapse will receive, lawyers representing victims in a class action lawsuit announced unexpectedly Wednesday in a courtroom hearing. At $997 million, it’s among the largest settlements from a single incident in U.S. history. “We all know there is no amount of money in […]

When thinking about green energy and new construction, build smarter

• 10th May 2022

From solar solutions to rainwater reclamation, of the many advancements in green energy that’ve been made over the past few decades, city and county administrators should take particular note of those made in the building construction sector. In 2018, for example, a little more than $300 billion in public dollars was spent on new construction, […]

Looking to increase civic engagement? Support the local press

• 9th May 2022

The McGregor Mirror in Texas; The Mayo Free Press in  Florida; The Olive Hill Times in Kentucky; The Progress Review in Iowa: What do all of these news outlets have in common? They’re all defunct; closed in the last year due to declining revenue and budget shortfalls.   Over the last 50 years, the journalism industry has […]

Video: Axon drone demonstration at IWCE 2022

• 9th May 2022

Research highlights municipal bond issuers that have the fastest audit times

• 6th May 2022

It’s no secret that the cogs of public service rotate at a slower rate than their private entity counterparts—when it comes to bond issuance, that lag time is significant. In comparison with corporate bond issuers, municipal bonds “typically take two-to-three times longer,” notes a report from the University of Illinois Chicago, citing research from Merritt […]

As ransomware threat increases, a shift in minimum cyber insurance standards is hardening digital defenses

• 3rd May 2022

In the last decade, the threat of ransomware and other cyberactivity has increased dramatically—more than ever, targeted organizations are paying the criminal perpetrators to have their information restored.  “Over the last year there has been an almost threefold increase in the proportion of victims paying ransoms of $1 million or more: up from 4 percent in 2020 […]