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The nation’s Wireless Emergency Alert system (WEA) needs improvements that are long overdue, according to a coalition of public safety organizations that are pushing for action by the Federal Communications Commission on the issue. In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the other commissioners, six leaders of regional and national public safety organizations are urging the government…
The Sonoma ridgeline was a sunrise of flame as Sgt. Brandon Cutting led deputies up country roads to pound on doors, hollering “Sheriff’s Office!” Thirty minutes later, with Cutting huffing from exertion and choking in thick smoke, the evacuation of Redwood Hill was still playing out one door at a time. He followed the sound…
From spy planes to rogue Wi-Fi networks, journalists and artists are using new technology to reveal a hidden world. One day this fall, in an old factory in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, a row of ’90s-era phone pagers chirped and buzzed. Alongside their dimly-lit displays sat a receipt printer—like the kind you might find in a…
An off-duty officer was injured and a suspect was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning (December 20) in North Hills. A call came in at 1:01 a.m. about an off-duty officer needing help around the same time officers received reports of someone being shot, according to Sgt. Andrew Kukla of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mission…
The Federal Communications Commission has expanded the US’s emergency alert systems by adding a new alert option dubbed Blue Alert. With Blue Alert, both local and state-level authorities can push out notifications that warn the public to “threats to law enforcement.” In explaining this, the FCC says the authorities are able to push out Blue…
LTE-connected drones hold a lot of potential for FirstNet-subscribers. Exploring the capabilities of this technology in wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastation will help temporarily restore connectivity and assess how first responders can use the drone in the future. AT&T has developed a drone that can function as a flying cell phone tower and helped restore…
Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) board members approved an agreement that would transfer the LA-RICS public-safety LTE assets to AT&T, so they can be integrated into the FirstNet system if California Gov. Jerry Brown makes an “opt-in” decision. LA-RICS Executive Director Scott Edson tweeted today that the LA-RICS joint-powers authority board this morning voted unanimously in favor…
The massive Thomas Fire in Southern California has consumed more than 230,500 acres, and the emergency has caused residents in fire-threatened areas to evacuate. Amateur Radio volunteers remain active supporting communication for American Red Cross shelters in Ventura County. More evacuations are likely, although the need for Amateur Radio assistance remains dynamic. Cal Fire said…
COATESVILLE, Pa., Dec. 13, 2017 — Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, delivered two S-70i™ Black Hawk helicopters to the County of Los Angeles at a ceremony in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The S-70i Black Hawk helicopters will be customized to a Firehawk™ configuration to meet L.A. County Fire Department’s specifications and further protect lives and property 24/7….
