PSTA launches new public safety tech alliance

A new public safety technology alliance has been launched to ensure interoperability and open standards for all broadband wireless communications and related technology.

AT&T, JVCKenwood, Microsoft, Secured Communications, Sonim Technologies, TRX Systems and Verizon will be among some of the alliance’s initial industry members.

The board of the Public Safety Technology Alliance (PSTA), which announced the launch, comprises a broad representation of telecommunications and technology industry leaders and federal, state and local public safety officials.

Through its efforts, the PSTA intends to help promote new investment in public safety and life-saving technologies by making it clear to industry which open standards public safety wants to leverage and clarify how they will be tested to ensure standards compliance across industry.

It aims to accelerate the conformance of open and standards-compliant technology and select those standards that will offer public safety a safe, secure and interoperable framework for the next generation of communications tools. It also endeavours to provide helpful guidance to industry for the implementation and testing of technical specifications for applications, handsets, connected devices, and cloud applications and storage that will be used by the first responder community, specifically to ensure public safety can choose the best tools and know that they will all work together seamlessly.

“Technology must support the mission-critical roles of public safety to better serve the residents of the communities we protect,” said board member and Fire Chief of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Mike Duyck.

“Importantly, this is the first time public safety will have an integral leadership role in selecting the technical standards for mobile broadband technologies that will be used by first responders.”

Board member and Microsoft Chief Technology Officer for US State and Local Government Stuart McKee said: “PSTA-certified open standards and APIs created through industry and public safety collaboration will help promote interoperable data and communications which will provide agencies investing in new technology confidence and help accelerate adoption of innovative solutions to support the public safety mission.”

PSTA has committed participation from a broad spectrum of public safety executives from leading law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies, as well as prominent CTO and CIO departments.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Les Cunliffe

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and bimonthly magazine.