State & Local

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March 4, 2021

Accelerating Appropriate 911 Responses in Mental Health Crises

The issue of 911 responses to mental health crises dates from the 1970s when a combination of factors led to the systematic mass closing of state-run residential psychiatric hospitals. Lack of adequate support resulted in an increase in crime, arrest rates, incarceration, and homelessness among the mentally ill.

February 25, 2021

How to Overcome Public Safety Challenges and Build Community Trust

Residents want to know what’s going on and what actions to take when an adverse event strikes, as well as stay updated. But it’s challenging for state and local agencies to get the information out to their communities.

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February 23, 2021

What is SMS Opt-In for Mass Notification Systems?

SMS opt-in requires individuals wishing to be included in a notification database to text a keyword to a short code number. Lean about other uses for SMS opt-in such as notifications and alerts to temporary visitors at tourist attractions, concerts and more.

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December 2, 2020

What is the Role of a Public Information Officer (PIO)?

Public information officers (PIOs) have an extremely important duty in sharing critical information with communities in order to save lives and protect property.

October 1, 2020

CARES Act Funding for Municipalities – Where’s the Money Going?

The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced the distribution of $150 billion of CARES Act funding for municipalities. States and eligible units of local government will share $139 billion. Learn how the money is being allocated state by state.

August 26, 2020

Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation

If you’ve been browsing the internet you’ve likely come across misinformation about the coronavirus. It's key for government leaders to prevent the spread of rumors.

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August 5, 2020

What are Strike Teams and how do they Minimize COVID-19 Hot Spots in Communities?

Most states have rapid response units tasked with responding to community outbreaks of COVID-19 and minimizing the impact of the virus. While not all rapid response units are assigned the title of “strike team”, they all do much the same thing - albeit on different scales.

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July 29, 2020

How Mass Notification Helps to Identify and Communicate with Your At-Risk Population

Notifying residents about a public health emergency. Evacuating them before a wildfire or a hurricane strikes. Initiating rescue efforts to a flooded neighborhood. Providing comfort to the community after an active assailant incident. Safeguarding community members is one of many priorities for emergency managers, 9-1-1 teams, first responders, public health personnel and local government officials.

March 25, 2020

How State and Local Governments can Enforce Social Distancing Policies and Better Protect Employees in the Community

While the U.S. remains behind most of the world in terms of the number of confirmed coronavirus infections per 100,000 citizens, state and local governments have an opportunity to take advantage of communication solutions in order to enforce social distancing policies and better protect employees in the community.

March 24, 2020

Overcoming Challenges for the Aging Workforce

In this day and age, it’s no surprise; people are living longer. Over the last 5 decades the number of older people in the population and in the workforce has grown and is projected to continue to grow. The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that by that one in four workers in the

Protecting Soft Targets in Your Community

Mental & Behavioral Health Toolkit for Public Safety

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