jwhitaker805

Today, on International Women’s Day 2026, we proudly recognize and celebrate the achievements, leadership, and contributions of women around the world. Across every profession, community, and nation, women continue to lead, innovate, support, and strengthen the organizations and communities they serve. At Tusa Consulting Services, we are especially proud to recognize the incredible women who are part of our team. We extend our sincere appreciation to Rebecca Norwood, Julie Heimkes, and Carmen Serpe for their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to supporting mission-critical communications for the public safety community. Their work helps ensure the systems first responders depend on remain reliable, [...]

As we observe National Severe Weather Preparedness Week from March 1 - March 7, 2025, Tusa Consulting Services reaffirms our commitment to supporting public safety officials in ensuring resilient and reliable emergency communications. Severe weather events, specifically tornadoes, high winds, and floods, can wreak havoc on emergency communication infrastructure, making it critical for emergency services to assess, maintain, and enhance their radio systems before disaster strikes. The Importance of Emergency Communications Reliability During severe weather, effective communication is the backbone of emergency response efforts. Emergency responders rely on their radio systems to coordinate rescue operations, disseminate critical information, and ensure [...]

TUSA Consulting Services is proud to congratulate Major Corey King of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office as the winner of our 40” Roku TV giveaway at this year’s Georgia Emergency Communications Conference, held at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. We were honored to connect with so many dedicated public safety professionals throughout the conference, and we appreciate everyone who stopped by to engage with our team. In addition to winning our giveaway, Major King was also recognized with the 2025 Georgia APCO President’s Award, a well-deserved honor that highlights his leadership, commitment, and contributions to the emergency communications community. [...]

In today’s public safety technology landscape, agencies are often faced with an overwhelming number of solutions, vendors, and competing claims. Each promises better performance, greater efficiency, and long-term savings, but not all solutions are created equal, and not all are designed with your agency’s unique needs in mind. That’s where TUSA stands apart. One of the most important values our clients consistently highlight is our vendor-agnostic approach. Simply put, we do not sell, represent, or promote any equipment, software, or managed services. Our role is not to push products, it is to provide clarity, strategy, and confidence in your decision-making [...]

As we conclude our 7-part series, “Is America’s 9-1-1 Workforce Fraying?”, I want to sincerely thank everyone who read, shared, commented, and engaged in this important conversation. The response from telecommunicators, 9-1-1 leaders, elected officials, and public safety partners across the country has been both humbling and encouraging. Your willingness to speak openly about staffing challenges, retention struggles, wellness concerns, and long-term solutions reinforces that this is not just a PSAP issue, it’s a community readiness issue. Meaningful change begins with honest dialogue, and your engagement proves that our industry is ready to move from awareness to action. Thank you [...]

The 9-1-1 staffing crisis can feel overwhelming because it’s been building for years and for many PSAP leaders, it’s happening while they’re already running short every single day. The reality is this: long-term solutions matter, but centers can’t wait a year to stabilize. That’s why the most effective agencies are taking a “first 90 days” approach, not as a permanent fix, but as a rapid stabilization plan. The goal is simple: reduce immediate strain, stop avoidable turnover, and create breathing room to rebuild. Below is a concise, practical action plan PSAP directors and elected leaders can implement quickly. A 90-Day [...]

America’s 9-1-1 staffing crisis isn’t going to be solved by hiring pushes alone. If we want to stop the revolving door, we must fix the systems that burn people out in the first place. That means modernizing the tools, rebuilding career pathways, and treating 9-1-1 like the critical infrastructure it truly is. Long-term solutions require leadership, funding, and the willingness to invest in the workforce the same way we invest in police, fire, EMS, and emergency management. Strategic improvements that reduce burnout and strengthen the long-term workforce: Modernize technology to reduce manual work (improved CAD, call-routing, location accuracy) so telecommunicators [...]

We’re pleased to share that Tusa Consulting Services was acquired by ACG Systems, effective January 30, 2026. Together, Tusa and ACG share a commitment to professionalism and mission-critical communications in support of public safety agencies nationwide. For current and future Tusa customers, the most important message is continuity. Our team remains in place, our consulting approach is unchanged, and Dean Hart will continue leading the practice as Director of Consulting. Customers should expect continuity in ongoing projects, points of contact, and engagement structures. Tusa will continue to operate under the core standard that has defined our work since the beginning: [...]

At TUSA, our consulting engagements are rooted in the PHASE I Needs Assessment, which helps agencies identify mission-critical requirements and opportunities for technological improvements without being driven by vendor sales goals. Here’s how we support your modernization journey: Emergency 911 / NG911 Assessment We evaluate: Current 911 call handling, including workflow bottlenecks Staff workload and training needs Call triage processes and potential AI integration points Interoperability with CAD and public safety data systems Data quality and information sharing readiness for next-generation IP-based services In 2026, many agencies face increased public expectations for faster, more accurate response times while simultaneously dealing [...]

When local and state leaders ask, “What can we do that actually makes a difference and not just for this quarter, but for the next five years?” the answer is clear: stabilizing the 9-1-1 workforce requires real investment, measurable accountability, and sustained policy support, not temporary fixes. Fund sustainable compensation packages. One-time bonuses help, but structural solutions (market-competitive pay, retirement parity, and benefits) are what stop turnover long term. Legislative or local budget action may be required. Invest in workforce development and recruitment pipelines. Partner with community colleges, high-school public-safety programs, veterans’ hiring initiatives, and workforce boards to create eligible [...]