From the Chief’s Corner: “M&M”, It’s More Than Just a Candy...

When Proper ERCES Maintenance and Monitoring Doesn’t Happen, Lives are at Stake
By Chief Alan Perdue (ret.), SBC Executive Director

Posted on September 8, 2022

When many people hear the term “M&M”, their minds immediately go to the small chocolate candy coated snacks that were first released in 1941. And although these small candies made history several times including during World War II and being the first candy to rocket into space aboard the space shuttle, “Columbia” in 1981, today we are going to talk about a more important “M&M” -- Maintenance & Monitoring.

Safer Buildings Partners with PSBTA for FirstNet Users Summit

Posted on September 8, 2022

The Safer Buildings Coalition is proud to partner with the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association to offer its members special pricing for Vision 2022 – FirstNet Users Summit held in Las Vegas this September 19 -22 at the SouthPoint Hotel Casino and Spa.

Results Are in – SBC Members Elect New Board Members

2022 Safer Buildings Coalition Board of Directors Election

Posted on September 8, 2022

The Safer Buildings Coalition 2022 Election for the Board of Directors is complete, and we are excited to seat our new Board of Directors. Congratulations to those elected! 

Meet the Newest Safer Buildings Coalition Members - August 2022

Posted on September 8, 2022

The Safer Buildings Coalition continues to grow. It’s our pleasure to introduce you to some of the newest additions to our member base: Advanced Telecom Systems, DAStronix, and RAN Wireless, LLC. Welcome to SBC!

2022 Safer Buildings Coalition Board of Directors At-Large RUNOFF

Posted on Aug 16, 2022

It's a Tie! Josh Gerst of RF Connect and Scott Umemoto of Day Wireless received the same vote tally. Please participate in the one-week runoff election. Electronic polling is open until 8pm ET Tuesday, August 23.

From the Chief’s Corner: Safer Buildings Expands to Canada

SBC Celebrates Milestone Hosting First Ever International In-Building Public Safety Communications Seminar
By Chief Alan Perdue (ret.), SBC Executive Director
Posted on July 28, 2022

SBC celebrates milestone hosting its first ever international In-Building Public Safety Communications Seminar in Toronto, Canada. In doing so, SBC became a North American Coalition, taking the next step to being a global influence that will make the world safer by taking on the threat posed by wireless dead zones.

Part I of II - Crisis in Plain Sight: Robb Elementary Shooting Reveals that In-Building Public Safety Radio Coverage was "Mostly Ineffective"

"Upon entering the building, the officers tried but were unable to communicate on their radios."

Law enforcement personnel work at the scene of a mass shooting in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 25, 2022. (Sergio Flores for the Texas Tribune)

By John Foley, SBC Managing Director
Posted on July 28, 2022

We of the Safer Buildings Coalition mourn with the Uvalde community the tragic loss of life resulting from the assault on Robb Elementary School on May 25th. While it is the role of many to find every solution that could make our schools safer, it is the role of the SBC to examine whether public safety communications may have been a factor in such an incident, and how we might work to improve such problems wherever possible.

The Interim report of the Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting of the Texas House of Representatives found that Robb Elementary “did not adequately prepare for the risk of an armed intruder on campus.” “Upon entering the building, the officers tried but were unable to communicate on their radios.”

In today’s world, it’s simply unacceptable to have people inside buildings unable to communicate with each other during an emergency.

In Part I of a two-part series, Safer Buildings Coalition examines a crucial element of this tragedy: Poor in-building public safety coverage.

In Part II, next month, the Safer Buildings Coalition will examine:

How common is the problem? Actual school in-building testing data
Success Stories
Grants and Funding
What other verticals need to be prioritized? (i.e. Higher Ed, Malls, Healthcare, more...)
Next Steps and Call to Action

SBC Staff Transition Update

By John Foley, SBC Managing Director
Posted on July 28, 2022

Safer Buildings Coalition has assembled a strong team over the past decade. And when a team member transitions, we meet the occasion with a mix of overwhelming gratitude, and a touch of sadness to see them move on. We’d like to first celebrate the retirement of our ever faithful and reliable Operations Manager, Nancy Hoppe, and to briefly introduce some of our new team members.

Meet the Newest Safer Buildings Coalition Members - July 2022

Posted on July 28, 2022

The Safer Buildings Coalition continues to grow. It’s our pleasure to introduce you to some of the newest additions to our member base: Connected Technologies, Health Signals and Invision Communications, Inc. Welcome to SBC!