You may know that there’s lot of controversy when retail giant Wal-Mart announces plans to build a local store–residents fear small retailers will be forced out, and there are union and pay criticisms. One of the issues thrown out is that Wal-Marts create crime hotspots, and now there’s a Web site that purports to have posted actual crime listings for Wal-Marts around the country. Just enter your ZIP Code to find the list. A quick look at various listing indicates that they are in some cases actual CAD print-outs from the local law enforcement agency. Surf here to check your nearest Wal-Mart.

The FCC has granted a request by the 800 MHz rebanding Transition Administrator to extend the negotiation deadline for certain jurisdictions, allowing Nextel/Sprint more time to come to an agreement over the process. The extensions apply to cities that include Boston, Baltimore County (Md.), the state of Washington, Virginia Beach (Virg.), Richmond (Virg.) and the District of Columbia. Download (pdf) the FCC’s decision here.

The clock settings on a comm center logging recorder and a jail video recorder are being studied to explain a 7-minute time difference when Monroe County (NY) deputies discovered an unconscious jail inmate and dialed 911. Sheriff’s officials say deputies dialed 911 immediately upon finding the man, and the surveillance video timestamp shows 1:36 a.m. But the Monroe County Emergency Communications Department says they received the call at 01:42:25. Read this story, and how even the ambulance company had a different timestamp for their phone call. [Extra credit: How would the three agencies now determine the correct times for the events? More credit: How would they solve this issue for future incidents?]

Self-proclaimed inventor, ultra-futurist, entrepreneur, marketer, Internet pioneer, Amateur radio operator and space adventurer Eric Knight has at least one additional interest–turning the Family Radio Service (FRS) into a nation-wide emergency radio network for America’s citizens. He’s cranked up a Web site to promote the project, which is dubbed National SOS, and proposes to use FRS and the GMRS radio operators to create a network where someone in trouble radios their predicament on Channel 1, and listeners notify the appropriate public safety agency. Surf the Web site for full details.

Last Tuesday Washtenaw County (Mich.) voters approveda 0.2-cent increase in their property taxes to raise $32 million over 10 years for a new 800 MHz trunked radio system for county public safety agencies. Voters passed Proposal A with a 62% “yes” vote, which surprised even supporters of the measure because of economic conditions. Read about what companies donated money in support of the proposal here.

A consultant who was called in to perform an analysis of the Yamhill County (Ore.) public safety radio system has recommended a fix–about $650,000 in upgrades and improvements that represents about 50% of the system’s original cost. The consultants wrote that to get the system operating properly, it would take up to 320 hours of work by highly skilled engineers and technicians. Read more here.

LaPorte County (Ind.) sheriff Jim Arnold says an unnamed dispatcher followed policy when she did not send a deputy in response to a 911 call from a woman who reported threats from her estranged husband. About an hour later the woman and her mother were shot and killed by the husband. Now Arnold has changed the policy, allowing dispatchers to send a deputy, even if there is no immediate threat to the caller. Read the story here.

Iridium Satellite is promoting a special communications package for first-responders to use during widespread emergency incidents, when normal communications channels are disrupted. A company press release notes the introduction of U.S. Senate legislation to require the pre-positioning of communications gear in likely natural disaster areas, possibly including Iridium’s gear. Not surprisingly, the company said it supports S. 2686, and notes the hurricane season starts June 1st. Read Iridium’s press release here.

A U.S. Senate committee has published a 792-page report on preparedness operations during Hurricane Katrina, including a section on communications. The report notes that many private companies were better prepared and responded quicker than government agencies to the disaster. The report details the damage suffered by many law enforcement and fire agencies, and to public safety comm centers. Download (pdf) the entire huge (62 Mb!) report, or an excerpt that includes the communications chapter, findings and recommendations. Also read a news story on the Senate committee’s report.

Even though the state’s courts ruled that Anne Arundel County (Md.) wasn’t legaly liable for their handling of a kidnap-murder 911 call, police chief P. Thomas Shanahan criticized the county attorney’s position on the case and said his agency has a moral responsibility to do better. Two dispatchers were fired when a 911 call reporting a woman’s abduction was mishandled. The woman’s family filed a lawsuit, which was dismissed by two courts, saying the county didn’t have a legal duty to help or protect her under state law. Read the story on the chief’s reaction here.

The Washington state Supreme Court has issued a ruling in a lawsuit filed against Lewis County, saying that, “there is neither a statutory nor a common law duty on the part of a county to dispatch medical aid” when a 911 caller gives only their address, and then hangs up. The court’s ruling supports a lower court’s dismissal of the lawsuit brought by the family of a man who died of a heart attack. Download (pdf) the court’s entire decision for the unusual set of circumstances surrounding the 911 call and how it was handled. Also read the news story about the court’s decision.

An Open Source project for computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software is looking to share its programming efforts, and also to recruit help in guiding the future development of the software and even programming it. You may be familiar with Open Source software, which develops and promotes programs that are team-developed using Internet coordination, and offered free for use. There is an impressive list of software available now in all categories, including some that rival the best programs from major developers. The Open Information Systems for Emergency Services (OpenISES) project is looking beyond CAD to include other applications, and even training programs. Surf the Project’s CAD Web page, along with the other sections of the site.

District of Columbia fire officials are investigating why an ambulance took over an hour to arrive at the scene of a patient with dialysis problems who later died. Logging tapes confirm that three 911 calls were placed by the family, that the calltaker entered the incident into CAD, and that a radio dispatcher gave the information to an EMS unit. However, there is silence on the radio logging tape after the dispatch. A D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesperson said, “Apparently, the crew did not hear the dispatch. Clearly, the dispatch was made.” Spokesman Alan Etter told a reporter that, “Corrective measures have been implemented.”

An article in the Houston Chronicle said that Texas legislators believe that E911 surcharge funds for Phase II upgrades aren’t a priority. About $82 million in E911 money is held in escrow by the state, leaving about 80% of the state’s counties without money to upgrade to Phase II service. Read the article here.

The FCC continues to be hard-nosed on the issue of Phase I/II implementation. The commission has proposed a $750,000 fine against Dobson Communications Corp. for failing to meet the commission’s implementation deadlines for the cellular location service. In its filing, the FCC said the company had failed to provide Phase I service with six months in 9 instances, and Phase II service in 41 instances. The fine was prompted by an informal complaint submitted by the Michigan State Police in April 2005, the FCC said, and that many of the involved PSAPs were in rural areas. Download (pdf) the FCC’s filing here.