Get to Know Your Safer Buildings Coalition Workgroups — Government Affairs

Posted on June 17, 2020

Workgroup: Government Affairs 
Chair: Jon Pasqualone, Executive Director, Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association (FFMIA). 

Safer Buildings Coalition: Please describe your work group and its objectives.
Jon Pasqualone: The Government Affairs workgroup in my mind is a base where the foundation is built for the three pillars of the Safer Buildings Coalition. Our official page states: “The Working Group's purpose is to provide timely expertise and advice to the Safer Buildings Coalition Board of Directors. The Working Group responds to requests for assistance from the SBC Sponsor and Co-Sponsor (acting on behalf of the Board of Directors) tracks government affairs issues of concern (or potential concern) to the Coalition, and drafts for the Board of Directors approval responses or position statements as needed.”

Get to Know Your Safer Buildings Coalition Workgroups — Advancement 

Posted on June 17, 2020

Workgroup: Advancement 
Chair: Mark Reynolds (Associate Director IT), University of New Mexico

Safer Buildings Coalition: Please describe your work group and its objectives.
Mark Reynolds: The main goal of the Safer Buildings Coalition’s Advancement workgroup is to assure the SBC goals and vision meet the current and new membership along with many verticals in the life safety organizations.

Get to Know Your Safer Buildings Coalition Workgroups — Public Safety Technology 

Posted on June 17, 2020

Workgroup: Public Safety Technology
Chair: Matt Brown, Partner - Sales, Marketing and Consulting, HetNet

Safer Buildings Coalition: Please describe your work group and its objectives.
Matt Brown: The Public Safety Technology Workgroup was formed to engage other stakeholders in the in-building network - mainly the license holders. With this engagement we are hoping to give them a voice within both SBC and also within the community to help guide all of the various inputs to a better understanding of the requirements and needs of this important group.

T-Mobile Offers Free 5G for First Responders for 10 Years

Posted on May 21, 2020
Connecting Heroes Program Available to all of the Nation’s First Responder Agencies

T-Mobile on Thursday announced Connecting Heroes - a new program, which offers free cellular service to first responders. Specifically, the program provides free unlimited talk, text, and smartphone data, with the highest network priority, to all U.S. state and local public and non-profit law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies. This covers access to T-Mobile's 5G network where available.

From the Chief’s Corner: The Connector and the Backbone Cable

Posted on May 22, 2020

I know, The Connector and the Backbone Cable sounds like the title of a children’s book.  But in reality, as it relates to a public safety in-building communications enhancement system solution, these are two critical components to the point where you cannot have one without the other. It is extremely important that both be installed “by the book.”  

So, what does “by the book” really mean?  The phrase, an old English idiom, ascertains doing something properly or in an appropriate manner, to complete the task according to the rules. Research indicates that this saying originally referred to the Christian Bible, however, its current meaning often refers to any written or implied set of rules governing the activity a person is performing. In our context, the book is the adopted codes and standards (IFC, NFPA) governing public safety in-building communications enhancement system solutions.

Ex-Google Chief Eric Schmidt Predicts Pandemic Will Create Demand for More Office Space, Not Less

Posted on May 22, 2020
Top Five Predictions from Schmidt on the Post-COVID World
By Mikkel Schultz, Senior Editor

With COVID-19 crippling the world economy, there is widespread belief that demand for office space will decrease significantly. But in an interview with Face the Nation, former Google CEO and founder of Schmidt Futures, predicted that the demand will in fact increase because people will want social distancing when they return to work. In the interview, Schmidt also suggested that the trend toward people moving to and working in supercities will change and talked about the importance of making the internet accessible to everyone, especially those who live in rural areas.

Safer Buildings Coalition – Has the Mission Changed?

Posted on May 22, 2020
You May Think it Has – But It Hasn’t! (We’re Just More Focused)

If you ask long-time industry leaders how they would describe the Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC), chances are they will say something like: “The Safer Building Coalition focuses on in-building public safety LMR (Land Mobile Radio) used by firefighters and the model fire codes that... .”  

Here is the funny thing. While this has been the prevailing public impression of the Coalition, the scope has always been larger.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: SOLiD PRESIDENT KEN SANDFELD
SOLiD remains firmly in public safety space, but with a clear focus on product development

Posted on May 22, 2020
Hard-hit industry will emerge strong from COVID-19 crisis, Sandfeld predicts
By Mikkel Schultz, Senior Editor

With the departure of some of SOLiD's in-building public safety-focused team late last year, some in the industry wondered if the company was leaving the sector. But SOLiD is, and plans to remain, very much in that space. SOLiD is focused on a strategy of building the best public-safety products possible, SOLiD President Ken Sandfeld explains in an interview with Safer Buildings Coalition. Mr. Sandfeld also talked about market trends, public safety broadband, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the industry, and how SOLiD is weathering the storm.

Nation Honors Fallen Heroes on Peace Officers Memorial Day

Annual Candlelight Vigil Goes Virtual
Posted on May 15, 2020 By Mikkel Schultz, Senior Editor, Safer Buildings Coalition

On May 15th, flags are flown at half-staff across our country in observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week. On this day, we honor the brave federal, state and local law officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty. The sacrifices made by these heroes will never be forgotten. 

Most of this year’s Police Week events have been canceled due to the pandemic lockdowns, but that has not stopped the Nation from saluting the fallen heroes. 

IAFC Section Chief O’Brian: We Need PPE

Posted on April 22, 2020

In his presentation today at the NEMA Fire, Life Safety, Security, and Emergency Communications Section Industry Day Event, Chief Michael O’Brian conveyed some stark realities facing the Fire Services in the current environment.