Telecommunications
Broadband for First Responders legislation should be passed, says head of fire chiefs group
IAFC President Jack Parow recently testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security, declaring his association's support for the Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011. Parow said that the act's passage would support the build out of a national public-safety interoperable broadband network to be used during local and/or multiagency incidents to securely transmit mission-critical data, video and voice across jurisdictions....
Municipal broadband spawns mobile government applications galore
Some cities and counties seized the opportunity to manage their own municipal wireless broadband networks when commercial operators failed. They created efficiencies and increased the mobile government tools available to public safety, utility and public transportation agencies....
App displays medical images on the Apple iPhone and iPad
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared a mobile radiology application that lets physicians view medical images on the Apple iPhone and iPad....
National Telework Week kicks off Monday, Feb. 14
National Telework Week, an initiative encouraging government agencies to pledge to telework, runs February 14-18. Dozens of government agencies will be participating, including...
GSA is moving to cloud computing
The General Services Administration has awarded a $6.7 million, five-year contract to Unisys Corp. to provide secure cloud-based e-mail and IT collaboration tools. Unisys will provide transition, data migration, training and cloud-based software as a service for the new environment....
EMTs needed to test out iPad app
PEPID, a developer of clinical decision-support information and technology, is calling for iPad users to help test the latest version of its subscription-based software suite used as a reference tool for point-of-care practitioners....
Federal stimulus dollars will provide web access to low-income New Yorkers
New York has received $20 million in federal stimulus money that will go to programs that aim to increase access to affordable broadband service in underserved communities and among low-income public school students....
Wireless system tracks firefighters' locations
The Harris GR-100 includes an SCBA-mounted tracker module and a radio network system that transmits location data every few seconds from an embedded module....
Firefighter feedback leads to new fire service radio
Motorola's APX700 XE radio addresses firefighters' concerns over digital audio quality by using a two-microphone design that filters out background noise and acoustic- and noise-cancelling software tailored to the loud noises encountered on the fireground, said Brenda Herold, a company vice president....
Cobb County, Ga., selects customer contact tool
The contact center software centralizes the non-emergency call intake process, so residents can access a single contact center for service requests or information....
N.Y. county gets wide-ranging public safety radio system
Saratoga County, N.Y., is creating a countywide communications system that will provide interoperability with state, county and local agencies. As part of the setup, the county has inked an $11.8 million contract with Motorola...
Report: Use of personal 'smartphones' in government could save money
Allowing for the use of personal "smartphones" at work may help state CIOs control costs, according to a report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers....
Dialogic Communications Corp. consolidates into PlantCML
PlantCML, an EADS North America company, has consolidated its wholly owned subsidiary, Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC), and its affiliated brands into one brand, that of PlantCML....
KIOTI Tractor uses Facebook to communicate with dealers, tractor owners
KIOTI Tractor, a division of Daedong Industrial Co., has launched a Facebook Fan Page to communicate corporate, product and general tractor news to its nationwide dealer network, current owners of KIOTI tractors, potential owners and tractor enthusiasts...
Movers and shakers
David LaFrance joined the American Water Works Association as executive director. Jeffrey Epstein, president of TerreStar, named CEO. Vincent Loiacono, chief accounting officer for TerreStar, named CFO. Michael Sheehan joined Thales Communications as CEO. Robert Paulsen, chairman and CEO for engineering firm PBSJ Corp., named to the American Council of Engineering Companies' executive committee....
Pryme Radio introduces bluetooth adapter for use with portable radios
Pryme Radio Products presented its new Bluetooth adapter that is designed to be used with EF Johnson, HYT and Motorola portable radios at the recent IWCE 2010 in Las Vegas....
Los Angeles Fire Department deploys vehicle locator
The Los Angeles Fire Department recently purchased HP workstations and performance displays for its emergency dispatch center, which helps protect more than 4 million citizens in America's second-largest city....
Government IT trends in 2010
IT spending, investment and innovation in government is one of the striking trends we came across while researching our Keating Report 2010 forecast on government budgets, spending and technology....
Cities make end run around data network obstructions
Some local governments are facing obstacles to build their own high-speed data networks — either from providers in their regions or state laws that create barriers to community broadband or outright ban it....
Map details use of homeland security readiness funds
An interactive map that details the use of homeland security readiness funds in all 50 states is the central element of "Homeland Security: Boom and Bust," a report from the Center for Public Integrity and the Center for Investigative Reporting....
Broadband stimulus fund applicants sharpen their proposals for the second round
Federal dollars are finally trickling into broadband stimulus projects, and a few trends are emerging that will serve as the blueprint for the second round of funding — in particular, a preference for private-public partnerships that...
EmFinder's emergency location solution helps find the lost
EmFinder unveiled an emergency location solution that can be used to find an impaired or disabled person after he goes missing, said Chris Buehler, the company's president....
Executive order: No text messaging while driving
An executive order issued by the White House to prohibit more than four million federal employees from texting behind the wheel is now officially in effect....
Municipal network in Oklahoma offers wealth of weather data
Oklahoma City has found a unique way to use its broadband system in several weather-related areas. The network, which predicts severe weather and informs the public, has spawned an entire field of new research into weather patterns that are useful for daily city operations....
Broadband systems are saving money, one wireless community at a time
Municipal broadband networks have taken on a new meaning since they were first introduced four years ago. Today many cities have turned to broadband networks as a way to automate municipal functions and provide critical access to a number of city workers....
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