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Archive for March, 2013

FCC Proposes to Improve 9-1-1 Reliability

Friday, March 29th, 2013

The FCC has acted on the subject of 9-1-1 Reliability.  On March 20, 2013 the commission issued a document describing key areas where the Public Safety infrastructure can be improved in the area of reliability.

To view the document: http://www.fcc.gov/document/improving-9-1-1-reliability

At Assure911 this topic is very dear to our heart. In fact it is the very reason for our existence.  Our mission is to make sure that emerging 9-1-1 services are as reliable as possible. In order to back up our belief that we can positively impact developments in this area, we have placed our experience, energy, intellectual property (software, trademark, patents), daily efforts, and a great deal of our own money into ensuring that the industry gets our message.

We are very gratified that the FCC agrees!

One of the items discussed in the FCC’s document is improved outage notification to PSAPs.  Our patented Assure911 system that solves that very problem, using a smart-phone App.

We have traveled around the country speaking about how 9-1-1 networks must be managed for highest reliability.

It is now our great honor to be able to provide comments on the document, which we have already begun working on.

Here are a few of the presentations that we’ve made where reliability has been discussed:

In the fall of 2011, at IIT’s Real Time and 9-1-1 Conference:

NG 9-1-1: Reliability After Design – Design and Reliability Solutions for Emergency Services Networks

At the IPSTA Conference in Springfield Illinois in the summer of 2012:

Next Generation 9-1-1 Texting, Video Calling, and Network Management

Most, recently at the APCO Emerging Technology Forum in Anaheim, January 30, 2013:
Assure911® Reliable Operations for Public Safety Communications

 

Dispatchers lauded for service during school shooting

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

The Boston Globe recently reported that the Newtown, Connecticut, Emergency Communications Dispatchers were honored for their service during the tragedy by members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation and the NG9-1-1 Institute. We join in recognizing their tremendous work.

“Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., were scheduled to present the Outstanding 911 Call Center Award to Newtown Emergency Communications Center staff for their work on the day of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “Newtown emergency call center dispatchers — like other first responders — well deserve this great recognition for their immense bravery and strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” Blumenthal said.”

Read More … Dispatchers lauded for service during school shooting
(The Boston Globe/The Associated Press)

Reliable Communications discussed at APCO Emerging Technology Forum

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

David Staub, Managing Partner of Assure911.net, spoke at the APCO Technology Forum on January 31, 2013 as a member of a panel of App Developers that have created innovative software supporting public safety.  The Assure911 system was discussed for its ability to help public safety communications managers sort through the vast amount of data available about the health and performance of their infrastructures. For example, when a citizen attempts to reach 9-1-1 and cannot get through, the Assure911 Mobile App alerts the appropriate people in the public safety organization who can respond to the caller as well as begin to correct the problem.

Assure911 allows rapid awareness of failed calls to public safety

Handling Call Failures in Next Generation 9-1-1

 

A demo was given to show how incoming text messages can be analyzed for context and alerts sent to public safety officials.  Twenty-one audience members downloaded the Assure911 Demo App from Google Play playing the role of a Police Chief or other First Responder.  The remaining audience members were invited to sent text messages to Assure911’s test facility which emulates a Next Generation 9-1-1 System, including NG 9-1-1 PSAPs. Half of the room sent random text messages, while the other half reported a serious event.  The data was processed and those with the Mobile App were alerted to the event in progress in with on-screen alerts as shown below.

 

Assure911 NG 9-1-1 Text Message Analysis

Secure Text Analysis and Alerting

 

The presentation can be downloaded from the APCO website here:
APCO Winter Technology Forum 2013 – Innovating New Tools and Apps for First Responders

 
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