On Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, members of the first responder community gathered for Equipped's Mid-Atlantic Technology Summit at the World Trade Center in Baltimore, Maryland. This one-day conference, generously supported by ASSUREd Safe, Tekniam, and Red Hat, focused on enhancing practical field knowledge for emergency response professionals.

Communities face a wide array of emergency situations, from active shooters to mass demonstrations. Law enforcement agencies nationwide now have access to valuable resources through the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), a program launched by the U.S. Justice Department in 2022.

A national survey of first responders shows major concerns with cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and information-technology resilience, according to Mark43, a leading cloud-native public safety software company.

The global disaster preparedness system market size is projected to exceed $308 billion by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate of 8.5 percent, according to a new report recently released by Research and Markets.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco has announced a new nationwide public safety agenda, including $334 million in grants to state and local law enforcement agencies, school districts, and local governments.

The law enforcement profession faces an employee crisis, as agencies struggle to recruit, hire, and retain police officers. In response, the U.S. Justice Department recently released “Recruiting and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement Agency,” the result of input from law enforcement and community leaders from across the country.

In the face of an ongoing global road safety crisis, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety have started a collaboration aimed at strengthening the role of law enforcement in enhancing global road safety.

Norfolk Southern Corp. broke ground in late September on its First Responder Training Center in East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a massive train derailment in February 2023. The center will provide ongoing, free training for first responders from Ohio and the surrounding region.

September marks Suicide Prevention Month. FirstNet’s Health & Wellness Coalition is an initiative that bridges the treatment gap among first responders, who experience a multitude of stressors throughout their careers.

An extensive research project conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology details what police, fire, emergency medical and 911 dispatch responders think about the communications technology they use on a regular basis and how they would like it to be improved.

MovementForward, Inc., in partnership with Stand Together Trust, recently announced the launch of the Law Enforcement Community-Engagement Network. The first LECEN cohort convened in January, with 20 member agencies represented.

In December 2022, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference kicked off a partnership with The Jason Foundation, Inc. to further highlight suicide prevention. This new partnership will allow for the information, tools and resources provided by The Jason Foundation to reach even more Tennessee communities.

The Just Trust has launched a $4 million effort to expand bold approaches to community safety and accountability. The Safer Communities Accelerator has made a commitment to eight organizations that are championing pre-arrest and pre-trial models.

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a referenced material based on yeast cells for use in simulated scenarios.

The county has selected Radius Mapping as its 911 map to better locate residents and visitors in the area. In addition to quickly locating people calling into 911, Radius Mapping adds the ability to text with language translation for non-native English speakers.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department of North Carolina has developed a customer service training program and curriculum called CMPD Serves. CMPD’s customer satisfaction score jumped from 43 percent to 84 percent after launching the program in 2021.

Director of the Game Center at American University, Dr. Phelps is a highly respected researcher who works at the cutting edge of virtual and augmented reality technology.

In a public consultation survey of 2,607 registered voters conducted by the University of Maryland, respondents went through an online "policymaking simulation" designed to put citizens in the shoes of policymakers.

Geographic Information System mapping gives first responders a powerful suite of tools to organize search grids, track evidence in real time, and find citizens stranded in wilderness and urban environments. Learn how to effectively utilize this tech in the field, when seconds matter most.

The discussion homed in on tactics commanders can implement to build and maintain successful safety strategies for law enforcement officers and other first responders who work along the nation’s roadways.