From the Chief’s Corner: Christmas, Teamwork & the ERCES...

Posted on December 21, 2020

As we near Christmas Day, I started reflecting on several traditions of the season and how they might relate to some of the work we are doing at the Coalition. As I thought more and more about what to write about, the concept of teamwork continued to prevail. So, what does teamwork have to do with Christmas, or for that matter an Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement Systems (ERCES)?

EVENT ALERT: Join us for the final installment in the Tessco-SBC Public Safety DAS Event Series

Posted on December 21, 2020

Tessco and the Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) have joined forces for a series of virtual, regional events on public safety DAS. 

The final installment, which covers the Central US region, goes down January 5 & 6.

Registration is now open for the event, so why not kick off the new year in the company of experts from Tessco, SBC, and industry-leading suppliers? Attendees are treated to an insightful event full of panel discussions and presentations focusing on the best practices for COVID-19 safety, streamlining public safety deployments, trends in the marketplace, RF best practices, local code requirements for public safety DAS solutions, and much more!

Safer Buildings Coalition Supports 3Strands Global Foundation's Fight Against Human Trafficking

Posted on December 21, 2020
By Mikkel P. Schultz, Senior Editor, Safer Buildings Coalition

It is an underreported and often misunderstood crime, but human trafficking is a very real problem with victims across the world. In the US alone, the federal government filed 145 new human trafficking cases in 2019, adding up to 606 active federal human trafficking cases, including both sex and forced labor trafficking. More than half of the human trafficking victims in 2019 were children. 3Strands Global Foundation (3SGF), which we profiled in last month’s Safer Buildings Coalition newsletter, is on the forefront of the battle against these horrific crimes. 

Safer Buildings Coalition & National Association of State Fire Marshals Develop Study Guide for New Credentialing Program

Posted on December 21, 2020
By Mikkel P. Schultz, Senior Editor, Safer Buildings Coalition

You’ve heard Safer Buildings Coalition talk about it over the last several months, and now the SBC-NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering) In-Building Public Safety Communications Certification Program is almost here – and with it: A comprehensive Study Guide and Reference. SBC is working with the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) to develop the study guide and drive adoption of the certification program. Once implemented, jurisdictions will require NICET Certification, and this book will help interested parties prepare for and pass the test.

Meet the Early Advertisers & Sponsors of the SBC-NICET Program Study Guide

Posted on December 21, 2020

The Safer Buildings Coalition is offering very limited sponsorship opportunities for the Safer Buildings Coalition Reference and Study Guide for the NICET In-Building Public Safety Communications (IB_PSC) Certification. We are delighted to introduce to you two of the first organizations to take advantage of this opportunity to be part of something genuinely important for the industry: Commdex and SmartRF Engineering.

Making a Difference: The T.A.T.E. Initiative – Telecommunications Against Trafficking and Exploitation

Posted on December 21, 2020

The fight against human trafficking is a noble and ongoing effort (link to 3SGF article), with 3Strands Global Foundation leading the battle. One of the notable initiatives to combat human trafficking is T.A.T.E. – Telecommunications Against Trafficking and Exploitation. Spearheaded by Kenny Blakeslee, President/CEO, Apex Site Solutions and Pulse Signal & and Co-Chair of the Safer Buildings Coalition Advancement Committee, and 3Strands Global Foundation, the T.A.T.E. initiative will make human trafficking awareness training available across the industry – at no cost. Kenny Blakeslee explains how T.A.T.E. came to be and how the initiative is an opportunity for the telecommunications industry to help make a difference in the quest to identify and end human trafficking. 

Now Available: Updated Versions of Safer Buildings Coalition Code Reference Cards & Official Logos

Posted on December 21, 2020

We have updated the SBC Content Download page to include the latest versions of our Code Reference Cards & SBC logos.

Our popular Safer Buildings Coalition Code Reference Cards, which cover IFC & NFPA, have been updated to match the current SBC brand colors. 

New SBC logos, both teal and all-white, are also available, featuring the trademarked SBC tagline Feel Safe Inside®.

Safer Buildings Coalition Introduces New Individual Consultant Membership Tier

Posted on December 21, 2020

We are very pleased to announce that the Safer Buildings Coalition has created a new membership tier: Individual Consultant.

Here are all the details about Safer Buildings Coalition membership as an Individual Consultant.

Why did we create this new tier?
We recognized that sole / individual consultants have different business needs than small businesses with staff. We created a scaled-down member tier that allowed us to right-size the membership benefits and  reduce costs for these individuals.

Safer Buildings Coalition WORK GROUP ROUNDUP - December 2020 

Please watch this month's video updates from the Chairs of the Safer Buildings Coalition’s five work groups on their group’s activities, achievements and needs.

Click on the links or images to watch the video messages below:

No Noise! Safer Buildings Coalition Affirms FCC Rules for Signal Boosters - Issues Call to Action

Posted on December 21, 2020
SBC calls for a cross-functional effort to address public safety radio interference

ROSEBURG, Ore., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Safer Buildings Coalition ("SBC" – www.saferbuildings.org), an independent non-profit organization focused on eliminating in-building "Wireless Dead Zones", calls for the immediate convening of a task force to address public safety radio interference caused by the improper use of Signal Boosters commonly deployed to remediate poor in-building public safety and commercial wireless coverage. The details of this call to action are documented in a position paper entitled "No Noise".