The City of Annapolis, situated on the Chesapeake Bay, is home to roughly 38,000 residents, two universities, and major roadways connecting it to Baltimore, 25 miles to the north and Washington, D.C., 30 miles to the west. This historic, centrally located city, attracts two million tourists annually, making reliable communications for the city’s public safety agencies a top priority for local leadership. The city is leading the state and the nation with a city-wide rollout of FirstNet to enhance public safety communications to help keep its community, residents and visitors protected. Annapolis Police Department (APD), Public Works, the Office of Emergency Management, the Transportation Department, and Recreation and Parks utilize FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network.
The network enables seamless communications across these agencies and its surrounding jurisdictions. Together they use FirstNet’s reliable connection to share data to increase situational awareness, so they can be better connected, protected and aware to keep themselves and others safe. It allows city personnel to make critical use of technology like smartphones, tablets and apps to help them with their lifesaving mission every day and in every emergency.
For example, FirstNet provides cell service to all public transit buses, enabling connected security cameras and GPS that reports the locations back to its headquarters. This a force multiplier, if there is an accident or security incident, the city is able to quickly pull up video feeds, and police commanders make instant decisions by receiving info quickly from the field.
APD’s Sergeant Ricky Truitt oversees the deployment of FirstNet citywide. “It is paramount that at any time we receive priority network connectivity and priority connection, whether it’s a governor’s inauguration and presidential visit, a diplomat visit, or a United States Naval Academy home football game, where the population grows by tens of thousands,” he noted. “That network connectivity and that reliability, it’ll be there for us and that’s very important for us here in the City of Annapolis.”
Mayor Gavin Buckley explained that the city has seen tragic events and knows firsthand how crucial reliable communication is during major events and disasters. He recognizes the importance of giving first responders the best tools to make their jobs more efficient. “FirstNet gives us another layer so that we can even bring greater protection to the community.”
Interested in learning more about how FirstNet can benefit your city’s public safety agencies? Contact your local Public Safety Advisor or visit FirstNet.gov.
To learn more about the City of Annapolis use of FirstNet, watch the video below:
