Colorado

The FirstNet Authority is continuing to bring the FirstNet's Band 14 service to rural, remote, and Tribal lands.

Bringing broadband to Tribal responders has always been a priority for the FirstNet Authority. When Board members visited the Navajo Nation – which spans Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah – they learned how deployables and expanded coverage are bringing interoperability to the tribe’s emergency communications. FirstNet has played an important role during major events like the pandemic response and a visit from the First Lady of the United States.

The FirstNet Authority, an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology announced today the launch of the Public Safety Immersive Test Center in Boulder, Colorado, to spur the development and deployment of technologies critical to effective public safety response.  

Coverage is king for public safety communications. Since its creation, the FirstNet Authority has focused on ensuring first responders have coverage and connectivity whenever and wherever they need it. Deployables, high power user equipment, and a focus on 5G are some of the new ways FirstNet subscribers can get coverage in hard-to-reach areas.

 

As the Marshall Fire burned through Boulder County, it quickly became the most destructive fire in Colorado state history. The fire damaged critical infrastructure and commercial networks were congested, but responders were able to communicate with FirstNet deployable assets on site, including a compact rapid deployable that was able to traverse steep terrain and establish coverage quickly.

FirstNet is revolutionizing the delivery of public safety services for all users. Learn how FirstNet is expanding broadband coverage into rural areas that have been traditionally underserved or unserved.

Experts at the Boulder FirstNet Lab in Colorado test functions and features of FirstNet to ensure first responders experience the network as designed and expected. For example, using load test tools, researchers can emulate 6,000 devices and demonstrate how priority and preemption work for first responders.

Colorado’s first responders are getting a major boost in their wireless communications thanks to the new FirstNet cell site launched in Glenwood Canyon.

The Cameron Peak Fire was the largest wildland fire in Colorado’s history. Don Patterson, a firefighter and communications expert, deployed to the fire knowing that broadband communications would play a huge role, particularly with the threat of COVID-19. Deployables and other advanced technologies helped everyone communicate — from incident command at the base camp to frontline firefighters.

At over 200,000 acres, the Cameron Peak Fire is the largest wildland fire in Colorado history. As it burned in remote parts of the Rocky Mountains, FirstNet deployables, phones, and hotspots kept firefighters connected to the apps and tools they needed for situational awareness. With this added capability, responders received up-to-the-minute information that aided them in making informed decisions on the ground.

After testing Band 14 capabilities at the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, public safety agencies in Eagle County, Colorado, began adopting FirstNet. Priority, preemption, coverage, and capacity have benefited first responders in the area while responding to events such as major fires and large concerts.

Public safety K9s can be trained for a wide range of services, from search and rescue to bomb and drug detection. These dogs work across urban, rural, wilderness, and disaster settings, and can sometimes end up a mile away from their handler. As technology advances, handlers are exploring ways technology – such as trackers and live-streaming cameras – can enhance K9 operations, keep dogs and handlers safe, and improve situational awareness and mission success.    

The Cameron Peak Fire burned nearly 209,000 acres (326 square miles) in Colorado in late 2020, making it the largest wildfire in state history. As firefighters fought the blaze, FirstNet deployables and devices allowed them to access apps and resources that made their jobs easier and kept them connected to Incident Command and their families back home.  

Situational awareness is crucial to firefighters responding to wildfires. Mobile broadband – like FirstNet – enables firefighters to access apps that provide up-to-date maps and videos to make operational decisions in the field. Cellular broadband also frees up traffic from land mobile radio systems, keeping radios open for other critical incidents.

America’s first responders are at the heart of the FirstNet Authority’s mission. Many FirstNet Authority staff are either current or former public safety officials. Collectively, they have deep experience in all public safety disciplines. We celebrate all first responders on Honoring the Nation's First Responders Day, and we appreciate their service every day of the year.

The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advocacy team proactively reaches out to public safety to discuss FirstNet and elicit feedback and insight regarding their communication needs for public safety broadband and innovative technologies. In the Central region, the team includes two National Government Liaisons that represent 573 federally recognized tribes across the country and public safety advisors covering a geographically diverse region of 14 states.

First responders in Colorado know the challenges of keeping growing communities safe in the urban, rural, and mountainous regions that make up the state.

The Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Springs Fire Department, and other city emergency responders rely on FirstNet's dedicated and highly secure communication platform to improve patient care and command decisions.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Division announced the winners of its Haptic Interfaces for Public Safety Challenge, a contest aimed to leverage haptic technologies to enhance first responder operations.