The Public Safety Technology Council addresses the challenges facing cities and counties as they seek to improve service delivery through the deployment of new public safety technologies.

Chair
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)     Biography
Director, Guilford Metro 9-1-1
1201 Coliseum Blvd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
336-373-2122

PTI Staff Member
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Assistant Executive Director for Research and Government Services

03-03-2010     Send a link     Topics:  Council Leadership  Public Safety Technology     Print version

PTI’s Public Safety Technology Council focuses on developing and applying practical approaches to the utilization of technology in the public safety arena.

It includes leadership teams associated with police, fire protection, emergency response, corrections and other public safety officials in localities across the nation.

Read more    02-18-2010

PTI presented this webinar November 2, 2011, with the Association of Government Contact Center Employees and the International City/County Management Association.

Hurricane season is almost over and many of us are wondering what this winter will bring, remembering once-in-a-lifetime snow storms in recent years.

This webinar and discussion concerned how two call centers dealt with the effects of Hurricane Irene and how one contact center dealt with a paralyzing snowstorm in 2009.

Play or download webinar

10-28-2011     Send a link     Topics:  2011 Events  Public Safety Technology  Web Management & E-Government     Print version

Amateur radio operators (“hams”) comprise a resilient, reliable option for mitigating communication losses during emergencies, including energy emergencies, particularly when telephone networks are damaged or jammed with calls.

This PTI white paper introduces the Amateur Radio Service, its purpose, organization and regulation. It summarizes recent FCC policy on utilizing radio amateurs in disaster drills, and recommends that public agencies form relationships with local radio groups for volunteer communications support.

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09-07-2011     Send a link     Topics:  Energy Assurance  Public Safety Technology     Print version

PTI Staff Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 937-667-4142.

The Emergency Information Infrastructure Project is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to enhancing the practice of emergency management, and thereby public safety, through offering professional development opportunities to practitioners and other interested persons.

The principal way it works to achieve this goal is through presentation of timely, disaster-related topics by experts in their fields, by means of Live Meeting Webinar technology.

Visit Emergency Management Forum

10-18-2011     Send a link     Topics:  Energy Assurance  Public Safety Technology     Print version

The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) accepts messages from local and state governments and the White House, evaluates the messages and forwards them to wireless carriers who transmit the messages to citizens’ mobile devices.

CMAS is a component of IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. CMAS is better known by its “public label” PLAN—the Personal Localized Alert System. It complements the existing Emergency Alert System comprised of radio and television stations.

PLAN was launched in New York City in May 2011. This system will roll out to the entire country. Login below to learn more.

Members: Read more    05-18-2011

Promotes collaboration on technology, information sharing initiatives

Ashburn, VA, Apr. 6, 2010: The IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety and homeland security, welcomes Public Technology Institute (PTI) as its newest Alliance Partner.

Read more    04-06-2010

Guide to Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Protection at the State, Regional, Local, Tribal & Territorial Level

This Department of Homeland Security publication helps interpret the requirements of the U.S. National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) at non-Federal levels and outlines the attributes, capabilities, needs, and processes that a state or other governmental entity should include in establishing its own Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources protection function so that it integrates with the NIPP.

Published September 2008. PTI makes this publication available at no charge on Scribd.

View and download this item now

08-24-2009     Send a link     Topics:  Public Safety Technology     Print version

PTI presented this webinar June 1, 2011.

Building upon early efforts to enhance situational awareness during emergencies, the Cincinnati Fire Department surveyed internal and external stakeholders from a host of first responder disciplines to identify critical infrastructure and key resources which were deemed integral to responding to a catastrophic emergency.

Read more    06-01-2011

This Congressional Research Service report is an excellent backgrounder on the threat of High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) devices on the national infrastructure including the electrical grid, computing and communication networks.

It summarizes the Sage / Instant Access Networks study of EMP damage and recovery times in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore-Richmond metropolitan area.

Members: Read more    07-24-2008

Introduction to EMP All-Hazards Public Safety Planning and Emerging Requirements for 911 Emergency Communications Centers by Charles L. Manto, Instant Access Networks LLC

Destroying critical infrastructure through electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and similar intentional electromagnetic interference to electronics is relatively inexpensive to accomplish compared to the damage it creates, becoming one of the more likely terrorist scenarios in an attack on a metropolitan area, region, or continent.

Members: Read more    05-31-2006

This initial Kansas Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP) has been developed to educate interested partners on the status of communications planning throughout Kansas.

The Kansas SCIP is in the early stages of development, and as such should not be considered as complete as it will be at the point of implementation.

The state of Kansas contains 105 counties. From December 2006 and continuing through 2007, 100 Kansas counties have experienced natural disasters reaching the level of a federal declaration.

Many of these counties have been involved in more than one disaster. Each of these disasters resulted in a tremendous public-safety and public-works response from not only within the state, but neighboring states as well.

Members: Read more    07-17-2008

A key element in mounting effective responses to biological attacks is effective and efficient information sharing. While this is especially true in the initial hours after detection, oftentimes uncertainty about the detection and jurisdictional responsibilities complicate the process.

Read more    04-06-2010

Call for Authors

CIO Leadership for Public Safety Communications: A Practical Guide for the Next Generation of Technology Thought Leaders

Author Guidelines and Proposed Sections & Chapters

"Public safety leaders will need to learn and know much more about technology and trends, while technology managers will need to learn much more about leadership and the human element."

Background

The Public Technology Institute (PTI) based in Washington, D.C., supported in part by the Public Safety Foundation of America and with active participation from APCO International will publish a new book in based on the highly successful CIO Leadership for Cities and Counties, currently available from Amazon.com and used by over four universities as a textbook, as well as the just released CIO Leadership for State Governments.

Read more    01-06-2012

The following is a successful application for Innovation Lab recognition.

City of Tallahassee, Florida Public Safety Systems Integration Project

Members: Read more    08-01-2007

PTI Staff Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), PTI Executive Director, 202-626-2445.

On April 22, 2009, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced a partnership between its frequency coordination subsidiary, APCO-AFC, and PTI.

APCO-AFC will provide support to PTI’s local government entity and agency members. Specifically, APCO-AFC will provide frequency coordination, engineering and licensing services, and licensing management to PTI’s Private Land Mobile Radio (CFR47, Part 90) licensees.

Read more    04-23-2009

Presented by EPA National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) at PTI’s 2007 Technology Leadership Conference, Denver, CO.

NHSRC expertise and products are used to prevent, prepare for and recover from public health and environmental emergencies arising from terrorist threats and incidents.

This presentation describes NHSRC structure, facilities and programs.

Members: Read more    05-06-2007

Successful Response Starts with a Map:
Improving Geospatial Support for Disaster Management

Committee on Planning for Catastrophe:
A Blueprint for Improving Geospatial Data, Tools, and Infrastructure
Mapping Science Committee, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council

This report is about the maps that are an essential part of search-and-rescue operations.

Read more    08-24-2007

A 64-page Congressional report, released in May 2008, examines homeland security challenges for mass gatherings.

It details 30 recommendations for what should be done by federal, state and local governments and the private sector to protect the public should an act of terrorism or disaster occur.

The recommendations focus on countering biological terrorism and other threats to human health, planning for emergencies and sharing information and resources.

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05-27-2008     Send a link     Topics:  Public Safety Technology     Print version

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Director, Guilford Metro 9-1-1
1201 Coliseum Blvd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
336-373-2122

Mr. Reid is a 25-year veteran in the 911 communications field. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Guilford Metro 9-1-1 in Greensboro, NC.

Guilford Metro is the result of the consolidation of the former Guilford County and City of Greensboro 9-1-1 centers. Mr. Reid has worked in every capacity in a 9-1-1 center from Dispatcher to Training Coach to Operations Manager. In his current capacity he oversees 125 FT/PT employees in three divisions including, 9-1-1 Communications, 800 MHz radio system and Information Systems.

Wesley is an active member of several public safety associations. He served for four years on the State of North Carolina 911 Board and currently serves as Second Vice President for the North Carolina APCO Chapter. Mr. Reid is one of the six founding members of the North Carolina Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce.

11-14-2011     Send a link     Topics:  Public Safety Technology     Print version