The Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, consists of a main oval track and seven road course layouts, allowing it to host both NASCAR and IndyCar events. With 30,000 seats at the Speedway, spectators coming into town can nearly double the population of surrounding Jasper County for race weekends.

Jamey Robinson, Jasper County emergency management director, works to ensure the safety and security of attendees of these races. “We can see upwards of 30,000 people a day,” he said. “So, taking into consideration safety and planning is a huge piece during the race time.”  

Staying on track with broadband

In 2024, Robinson and his team began preparing for a NASCAR Cup Series race that was coming to Newton for the first time that summer. Before the event, the team had to move the incident command center to accommodate race control. The new space did not have the same comprehensive view of the complex, so the team set up several point-tilt-zoom cameras throughout the Speedway. The cameras were connected by fiber, allowing responders to view, move, and zoom each camera from their newly relocated command center. 

“A lot of the cameras are at the ingress and egress of traffic,” explained Robinson. “Then we have a lot of people on foot walking around and there are people in the stands. The cameras help us keep an eye on those spots and give us the situational awareness we need to keep everyone safe.”

About a month after the NASCAR Cup Series race, the Iowa Speedway hosted a weekend of IndyCar races. During these races, the fiber connection for the cameras failed, and Robinson’s team lost their eyes on the crowd. Searching for a quick solution, Robinson pulled out his FirstNet MiFi and connected the cameras via broadband. The video streams came back on and were streaming with no lag or delay.

“Anybody who knows anything about video knows it takes a lot of speed,” explained Robinson. “And it wasn’t just looking at the video — we were controlling those cameras from the command post over FirstNet as well. And we never skipped a beat. I was blown away.”

The Iowa Department of Transportation was also in the incident command center monitoring interstate cameras, as the Speedway is located right off Interstate 80. When the fiber connection went down, they were able to connect to the FirstNet MiFi and continue monitoring traffic without delays — and without impacting the video streaming ability of Robinson and his team.

Planning for the next green flag 

This summer, IndyCar and NASCAR races will once again be held just weeks apart. Robinson is looking to use FirstNet to prepare his team for any situation. His team recently acquired their own cameras that will be used during the 2025 race season — the cameras used in 2024 were all provided by a third-party vendor. In addition, digital signs will be used to help direct the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, as well as share emergency information and alerts with attendees as needed.

“This year, we’ll have six of our own cameras on digital signs that we can control, along with the wording on the signs. All of our digital signs and cameras will be on FirstNet,” Robinson said. “We’ll also have our MiFis out, so we’ll be covered no matter what happens.”

Taking a test drive

Robinson made the switch to FirstNet a few years ago, after having the opportunity to try out the network. “It worked very well,” he said. “Once we got a taste of it and saw that it was very capable of doing what we needed to, our use blossomed very quickly.” Now, FirstNet is the primary connectivity for his agency’s phones, computers, vehicles, and mobile command center.

The network offers benefits to first responders beyond its work at the Speedway. Robinson described the in-vehicle tracking devices that tie into their mapping system. They can see where emergency vehicles are and accurately say when a fire truck or ambulance will arrive on scene.

Robinson advises other public safety agencies to look into FirstNet. “If you are thinking for one second that you're having issues with your technology, you should reach out to FirstNet. Get demo equipment and take it for a spin,” he suggested. “It’s definitely going to change your mind.”