Iowa

EMS personnel must be able to rely on their communications — especially during worst-case scenarios. Assistant Chief Troy Harmison of Bondurant Emergency Services in Iowa shared how a communications failure at a critical moment changed how his agency managed communications.

When the fiber connection for public safety cameras failed during a major race weekend in Newton, Iowa, Jasper County emergency management turned to FirstNet. Broadband brought critical situational awareness back to responders, ensuring they could keep fans safe.

Access to broadband on tribal lands has long been a challenge for tribal public safety officials. Through ongoing investments in coverage for tribal and rural areas, as well as continued partnerships with tribal leadership, the FirstNet Authority remains committed to improving coverage and ensuring the FirstNet network meets the needs of responders in Indian Country.

The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi, known as Meskwaki Nation, is the only federally recognized tribe in Iowa. The Meskwaki Police Department uses FirstNet for reliable connectivity across the reservation. FirstNet coverage helps tribal police officers communicate during everyday operations and planned events in the community, including the annual Powwow. 

75 FirstNet installations have been deployed to support Iowa’s 9-1-1 program, providing a great leap in reliability even on bad days.

When Iowa needed a backup communications network for its public safety answering points, the state turned to FirstNet. Blake DeRouchey, 9-1-1 program manager for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, shared how Iowa uses FirstNet as a failover so 9-1-1 calls stay connected.

First responders in Iowa are benefiting from FirstNet’s expanding coverage, boosted capacity, and new capabilities. FirstNet’s Band 14 infrastructure is bringing public safety agencies nationwide access to the network’s unique features and functions.

The Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System (ISICS) Board, led by Board Chair Tom Lampe, was formed in 2007 to create and manage the statewide land mobile radio system known as ISICS. Coupled with the buildout of FirstNet, ISICS has given first responders across Iowa’s 99 counties access to reliable, redundant communications. The LMR and LTE systems have played critical roles in day-to-day response as well as major incidents, including the 2020 derecho storms and a recent missing children’s case.

FirstNet Authority and A&T representatives will be on hand to educate on FirstNet 101, highlight the coverage footprint in Region 3, and features that differentiate FirstNet from commercial off

The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advocacy team works hand-in-hand with public safety to make sure their needs are represented in the FirstNet network buildout and evolution. In the North region, six public safety advisors cover 16 states and bring a wealth of public safety expertise to their roles as advocates.

Made up of rolling hills, river valleys, and prairies, Iowa balances its agricultural roots with growing manufacturing, biotechnology, and finance sectors.

Knoxville Fire and Rescue in Iowa subscribed to the network in order to address existing communications gaps. 

FirstNet provides an interoperable communications platform that enables first responders to share real-time data while en route to an incident scene or medical facility. These new capabilities are transforming the way the West Des Moines EMS team communicates in Iowa.

The FirstNet Authority joined the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board for a Region VII User Forum in Altoona, Iowa. Public safety agencies from the region gathered to learn more about the latest FirstNet developments and key initiatives underway across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri.

RESTON, Va., July 18, 2017  -- Iowa is making history. Today, Governor Kim Reynolds announced her decision to accept the FirstNet and AT&T plan to deliver a wireless broadband network to the State's public safety community. This will make Iowa one of the first states in the country to "opt in" to FirstNet and bring advanced technologies that will help first responders save lives and protect communities.