Download or read book Voices of First Responders Examining Public Safety Communication Problems and Requested Functionality written by Shanee Dawkins and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The public safety community has a unique opportunity to improve communication technology for incident response with the creation of the national public safety broadband network (NPSBN). Understanding the problems currently being experienced by first responders with communication technology as well as first responders? communication technology requests provides the basis for addressing and developing solutions to improve public safety communication. The National Institute of Standards Public Safety Communications Research usability team has conducted in-depth interviews with approximately 200 first responders representing 13 states in eight Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions. The population sample includes urban, suburban, and rural locations, and various levels in the chain of command within the fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and communications center disciplines. This report is the second in a series of reports documenting the findings. A qualitative analysis of the transcribed interview data revealed thousands of problems currently being experienced by first responders and new functionality requests. Further analysis, with respect to current problems identified 25 distinct categories, with 1 729 quotes categorized across the four domains. The new functionality request data analysis resulted in 1 143 categorized quotes belonging to 18 categories. While overlap exists across disciplines for the majority of problems and requests, three major themes across the public safety landscape were identified in addition to discipline-specific topics that need to be addressed as future communication technology for first responders develops.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders examining Public Safety Communication from the Perspective of 9 1 1 Call Takers and Dispatchers written by Michelle Steves and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the newly created Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), the public safety community has a unique opportunity to review and improve communication technology for first responders, 9-1-1 communications, emergency medical services (EMS), fire, and law enforcement. Understanding the problems and challenges currently experienced by first responders provides the basis for addressing and developing solutions to improve public safety communication. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) usability team conducted indepth interviews with approximately 200 first responders representing 13 states in eight Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions across the United States. From this larger dataset, this report, the fourth volume in the series, focuses on the contexts and challenges specifically facing 9-1-1 communications personnel. The findings reported here stem from 30 interviews with public safety answering point responders. A qualitative analysis of the transcribed interview data revealed unique issues resulting from significantly different contexts and primary tasks of communications personnel in contrast to first responders from other disciplines. Challenges include 9-1-1 incoming calls from wireless devices, continuity of operations related issues, as well as, technology implementation and infrastructure problems. Communications personnel are concerned that new technologies will demand additional focus which will increase their cognitive loads. Just like their colleaguesin other emergency response disciplines, communications personnel stressed the need for utility in technology that emphasizes usability, interoperability, and reliability. Understanding the specific challenges faced by communication personnel can provide insight into the types of new technology, as well as technology improvements, to help them best respond to incidents effectively and efficiently.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders Examining Public Safety Communication from the Rural Perspective written by Kristen K. Greene and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the newly created Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), the public safety community has a unique opportunity to review and improve communication technology for first responders, in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Understanding the problems and challenges currently experienced by first responders provides the basis for addressing and developing solutions to improve public safety communication. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) usability team conducted in-depth interviews with approximately 200 first responders representing 13 states in eight Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions across the United States. From this larger dataset, this Volume 3 report focuses on the contexts and challenges specifically faced by rural first responders. This Volume utilizes 48 interviews with 63 rural first responders. A qualitative analysis of the transcribed interview data revealed unique issues posed by rural geography and topography; incident types specific to the rural environment; and resource challenges faced by rural first responder departments and agencies. Resource challenges include financial, personnel, and infrastructure. While there are many similarities between rural first responders and their urban and suburban counterparts, this Volume focuses on the unique nature of rural emergency response and its implications for technology needs and development. Understanding the specific challenges faced by first responders in rural communities can provide insight into the types of technology that might help them best respond to incidents effectively, efficiently, and safely.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders Identifying Public Safety Communication Problems written by Yee-Yin Choong and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The public safety community is in the process of transitioning from the use of land mobile radios to a technology ecosystem including a variety of broadband data sharing platforms. Successful deployment and adoption of new communication technology relies on efficient and effective user interfaces based on a clear understanding of first responder needs, requirements and contexts of use. The project employs a two-phased data collection approach for an in-depth look at the population of first responders, along with their work environment, their tasks, and their communication needs. This report documents the data collection of Phase 1 and the first iteration of data analysis. Phase 1, the qualitative component, focuses on interviews with approximately 240 first responders (law enforcement, fire fighters, emergency medical services, communications/dispatch) across the country. Results include: approximately 90 user needs and requirements expressed by first responders; five categories of technology opportunities; six principles for technology development; and the role of trust in usage of communication technology.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders written by Adam Pintar and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public safety is in the midst of a major transition in the communication technology that they use due to the ongoing development and deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). Once established, the NPSBN will provide dedicated broadband to first responders. Having a dedicated network will allow first responders to leverage technology in performing their jobs safely, effectively, and efficiently. To fully recognize the benefits of having such a network, there has been many efforts to improve and create communication technology for first responders to work with this network. NIST's PSCR Usability team has been contributing to this effort by conducting a multi-year, mixed methods study to examine first responders' experiences with, problems with and needs of communication technology. The study consisted of two phases: in Phase 1, 193 first responders were interviewed, and in Phase 2, 7 182 first responders completed a survey of their communication technology experiences. Results of these efforts have been extensively reported on and are publicly available in eight reports. This report provides an in-depth statistical analysis of the survey data by exploring if and how communication technology problems and needs differ depending on the characteristics of the first responders. Specially, we examined differences by area (rural v. urban/suburban), role (frontline responders v. supervising responder, v. chief/management), and career v. volunteer status for fire service personnel. Two key themes emerged. First, we found that rural and volunteer first responders lack some devices and applications/software that their urban/suburban and career counterparts have, and they experience problems with the price of several devices. Second, we found that chief/management roles have different communication technology problems and needs from frontline first responders. Specifically, they tend to more often use devices and applications/software for coordination and managerial purposes and are very aware of the price of devices. This report provides a rich data and rigorous analysis for researchers, developers, and designers to use to inform their work in developing communication technology for first responders. We also describe how these findings relate to the user-centered guidelines published in previous reports.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders written by Shan e Dawkins and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) is being developed to provide a dedicated network for first responders use during incident response. A wave of new communication technologies compatible with the NPSBN is on the horizon, as major research and development efforts for these technologies are ongoing. The aim of the NIST PSCR Usability Team is to gain a better understanding of the usability of communication technology for first responders, by investigating the contexts in which they work, their experiences with incident response, and their problems with and needs for communication technology. To this end, NIST s PSCR Usability Team conducted an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study to gather insights into the experiences and needs of first responders. The multi-phase study included in-depth interviews with 193 first responders, followed by a nationwide survey of 7 182 first responders. This report is the third of the series of volumes on Phase 2, presenting survey results related to first responder experiences with their day-to-day devices: frequency of use of these devices, useful rankings of the devices, and problems experienced with them. Four overarching themes that have implications for R&D of first responder communication technology are presented in this report, reinforcing the six user-centered design guidelines identified in the Phase 1, Volume 1 report. These themes and guidelines can aid researchers, designers, and developers in the public safety domain in attending to those issues that are most important to first responders.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders nationwide Public Safety Communication Survey Findings written by Shanee Dawkins and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the newly created Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, the public safety community is in the process of supplementing the use of land mobile radios with the use of a broader spectrum of technologies. As these technologies are being developed, researchers and industry alike need to focus on the end users - the first responders - in order to ensure successful and usable systems. Understanding the user population of first responders is key to improved usability. The NIST PSCR Usability Team conducted a multi-phase, mixed methods research project in order to provide greater understanding of public safety users, their experiences, and their technology needs and problems. This report, Phase 2, Volume 2, is the second in a series of reports on the data from the Phase 2 large-scale, nationwide survey of 7 182 first responders. Three specific topics in the first responder communication technology space, drawing on data from both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project are presented: 1) mobile devices, apps, and software, 2) futuristic technology and virtual reality, and 3) technology used in large incidents. Findings suggest that broader access to affordable devices, particularly work-issued smartphones, and data through smartphone apps, most essential being email and mapping/navigation, could fill significant gaps in the public safety technology space, making the NPSBN build-out so important for public safety. It is also important to understand that what many first responders want for the future of public safety is technology that already exists for the general public, it just is not yet widespread in the public safety domain, e.g., single sign-on (SSO). Lastly, researchers and developers in the public safety domain should focus on solving the problems that first responders have with technology used for daily incident response, as it will also help them during large events.

Download or read book Voices of First Responders nationwide Public Safety Communication Survey Methodology written by Kristen K. Greene and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the newly created Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), the public safety community is in the process of supplementing the use of land mobile radios (LMR) to a technology ecosystem that will include a variety of new communication tools, including a range of broadband data sharing platforms. It is imperative to have a clear understanding of first responder needs, requirements, and contexts of use in order for successful deployment and adoption of new communication technology. This report is part of a multi-phase mixed methods project that is designed to provide an in-depth look at the population of first responders, along with their work environments, their tasks, and their communication needs, with particular focus on their technology problems. In the current project phase, a large-scale, online nationwide survey of first responders in 911/Dispatch, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire Service, and Law Enforcement was conducted. This report details the survey methodology, including survey development and dissemination, and summarizes nationwide participant demographics. A total of 7 182 completed survey responses were received, with responses from all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The survey sampling priorities were mirrored in the data, with good representation from the four public safety disciplines surveyed (911/Dispatch, EMS, Fire Service, and Law Enforcement), and a good mixture of responses from urban, suburban, and rural areas. Other demographic variables of interest,such as jurisdictional level, years of service, and age,also showed good variability, mapping well to national numbers. Such a largescale survey, with over 7 000 completed responses across the United States, represents a dataset of great relevance for the public safety community. This multi-phase, mixed methods project provides direct input from first responders about the communication technology used and needed by first responders.

Download or read book An Assessment of the Communications Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Assessment of the Communications Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology: Fiscal Year 2019 is an independent technical assessment of the quality of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL). It reviews the organization's technical programs, the portfolio of scientific expertise within the organization, the adequacy of the organization's facilities, equipment, and human resources, and the effectiveness by which the organization disseminates its program outputs. This report focuses on CTL priority areas such as public safety communications, trusted spectrum testing, and Next Generation Wireless (5G and Beyond). It also assesses the extent to which CTL applied the recommendations from a 2015 National Academies' report, which describes many of the critical uses of radio communications, provides lab-specific recommendations, and highlights important research priorities for the Boulder, Colorado communications technology laboratory of the Department of Commerce laboratory. This new report also describes the current activities of the Boulder telecommunications laboratories, its strengths and weaknesses as an organization, and its plans for the near future

Download or read book Voices of First Responders written by Yee-Yin Choong and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) is being developed to provide a dedicated network for the use of first responders during incident response. A wave of new communication technologies compatible with the NPSBN is on the horizon, as major research and development efforts continue for these technologies. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Usability Team investigated the contexts in which first responders work, their experiences with incident response, and their problems with and needs for communication technology. The team conducted an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study to gather insights into the experiences and needs of first responders. The multi-phase study included in-depth interviews with 193 first responders in Phase 1, followed by a nationwide survey of 7 182 first responders in Phase 2. This report is the tenth volume published from this data and provides a holistic understanding of the usability of communication technology for first responders. It is unique in that it combines results from both Phase 1 and Phase 2 providing an integrated analysis of both the qualitative and quantitative data. This integration allowed us to develop overarching themes about the problems and needs of first responders, focusing specifically on the barriers and facilitators to the adoption and use of communication technology. In this report, we discuss how adoption and use of communication technology is impacted by first responders' experiences across three themes: technology trustworthiness, user autonomy, and frustration. Overarchingly, there is a lack of technology trustworthiness combined with low autonomy that often results in frustration for first responders. The development of trustworthy technology takes time and relies on first responders knowing that their input and experiences matter (i.e., having autonomy). The lack of trustworthiness and autonomy has an impact on the acceptance and adoption of new technology and the ability of first responders to accomplish their primary tasks. This work can be useful for the researchers, designers, and developers (R&D) community as it works to improve current and develop future communication technology for first responders. It can also aid administrators and decision makers (ADMs) in making purchasing decisions and developing policies related to communication technology for first responders in their departments.

Download or read book Disaster Management and Information Technology written by Hans Jochen Scholl and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-03-31 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited book entertains a multitude of perspectives on crisis information management systems (CIMS)-based disaster response and recovery management. The use of information technology in disaster management has become the central means for collecting, vetting, and distributing information. It also serves as the backbone for coordination and collaboration between response and recovery units as well as resource management tool. This edited volume aims at covering the whole range of application and uses of CIMS in disaster response and recovery. It showcases coordination and collaboration mechanisms between government agencies, the involvement of non-governmental entities, lessons learned as well as lessons not learned, approaches to disaster resiliency in society, community engagement in disaster/catastrophe responses and recovery, and, particularly, the role of CIMS in response and recovery. Serving as a platform for showcasing recent academic discoveries as well as a knowledge source for practitioners, this volume will be of interest to researchers and practitioners interested in disaster response, public administration, emergency management, and information systems.

Download or read book The First Responder Network Firstnet and Next Generation Communications for Public Safety written by Linda K. Moore and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since September 11, 2001, when communications failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. Yet the United States has continued to strive for a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. To address this problem, Congress included provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96) for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications (FirstNet), and assigned additional radio frequency spectrum to accommodate the new network. In addition, the act has designated federal appropriations of over $7 billion for the network and other public safety needs. These funds will be provided through new revenue from the auction of spectrum licenses. These and other public safety and spectrum provisions of the act appear in Title VI, known as the Public Safety and Spectrum Act, or Spectrum Act.

Download or read book Public Safety Communications written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Homeland Security and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Human Computer Interaction Design and User Experience Case Studies written by Masaaki Kurosu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-07-03 with total page 663 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The three-volume set LNCS 12762, 12763, and 12764 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Human Computer Interaction thematic area of the 23rd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2021, which took place virtually in July 2021. The total of 1276 papers and 241 posters included in the 39 HCII 2021 proceedings volumes was carefully reviewed and selected from 5222 submissions. The 139 papers included in this HCI 2021 proceedings were organized in topical sections as follows: Part I, Theory, Methods and Tools: HCI theory, education and practice; UX evaluation methods, techniques and tools; emotional and persuasive design; and emotions and cognition in HCI Part II, Interaction Techniques and Novel Applications: Novel interaction techniques; human-robot interaction; digital wellbeing; and HCI in surgery Part III, Design and User Experience Case Studies: Design case studies; user experience and technology acceptance studies; and HCI, social distancing, information, communication and work

Download or read book Emergency Communications written by United States. Government Accountability Office and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First responders and others in 11 large metropolitan areas use radio systems operating in the T-Band since spectrum is limited in other bands. In 2012, FCC was required by statute to begin an auction of this T-Band public safety spectrum by February 2021 and to make the proceeds available to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and administer a grant program to help cover costs associated with relocating public safety users’ radio systems. This report examines, among other things: (1) the challenges selected first responders and local governments anticipate facing in relocating public safety communications from the T- Band and (2) the actions FCC has taken both to help facilitate the required T-Band relocation and to address identified challenges. Congress should consider legislation allowing public safety users continued use of the T-Band spectrum.

Download or read book First Response and Public Safety Communications written by Violet K. Castillo and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The importance of wireless communications in emergency response has expanded in parallel with increasing reliance on mobile communications across all sectors of the American economy. The consequences of failure in emergency communications networks have also grown, as the nation witnessed on 11 September 2001, and in the days that followed, as first responders and other emergency workers struggled to communicate with each other. The need for robust emergency communications was again underlined by network failures in the wakes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in 2005. Fixing the problems of communications interoperability and operability that hampered response and recovery in these and other catastrophic events has been and remains a long-term goal of policy makers. This book discusses issues that have risen for Congress with the first responder network and next-generation communications for public safety. It also provides a more comprehensive planning method that would enhance the cybersecurity of public safety entities' emerging technology.

Download or read book Emergency Communications written by U.s. Government Accountability Office and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-08-03 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Emergency responders across the nation rely on land mobile radio (LMR) systems to gather and share information and coordinate their response efforts during emergencies. These public safety communication systems are fragmented across thousands of federal, state, and local jurisdictions and often lack "interoperability," or the ability to communicate across agencies and jurisdictions. To supplement the LMR systems, in 2007, radio frequency spectrum was dedicated for a nationwide public safety broadband network. Presently, 22 jurisdictions around the nation have obtained permission to build public safety broadband networks on the original spectrum assigned for broadband use. This requested report examines (1) the investments in and capabilities of LMR systems; (2) plans for a public safety broadband network and its expected capabilities and limitations; (3) challenges to building this network; and (4) factors that affect the prices of handheld LMR devices. GAO conducted a literature review, visited jurisdictions building broadband networks, and interviewed federal, industry, and public safety stakeholders, as well as academics and experts. "