TEXAS — As Super Bowl XLV neared, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) had more on its mind than which team would win the big game. In a state with more than 25 million residents, the potential for alcohol-related catastrophe was enormous — especially since in 2009, Texas saw 1,235 deaths, more than any other state that year, from crashes involving drivers...

HANOVER TWP & DURYEA, PA — When the Hanover Twp. Fire Department is sent to a call, the dispatch information is usually posted on the department’s Facebook page within several minutes.

TEMPE, AZ — A new, higher-tech dispatch system recently put in place by the Tempe Police Department aims to increase speed and efficiency when responding to emergency calls.

ALHAMBRA, CA — As the FCC and public safety officials work to define and build out the next-generation 911 infrastructure that will be capable of providing first responders with detailed situational awareness of the scene of an emergency, universities, localities and states have begun building and using some of the pieces envisioned in the completed whole.

SAN DIEGO, CA — Free the Apps!, the developers of 911 Police Radio HD, has launched a new version of their popular iPhone app for iPad users. The application offers thousands of emergency radio stations to listen to, lets users add custom feeds, shows the number of listeners on a station and allows users to save their favorite emergency radio channels.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — The Montgomery County commissioners last week authorized the purchase of almost $1 million worth of equipment that will not be needed if the county opts to upgrade its emergency communications system.

This week, during the National Emergency Number Association’s conference in Minneapolis, much of the chatter was about NENA’s i3 standards, which provide the technical guidelines for the development of next-generation 911 technologies.