Emergency management thrives on good communications. One FirstNet tool that aids communications is push-to-talk on hand-held mobile devices. Push-to-talk capabilities over FirstNet deliver better situational awareness for responders in the field and in the emergency operations.

The fourth-quarterly 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary e-meetings of 2022 concluded in December. Participants focused work on 3GPP Release 18’s (R18) feature progress and schedule. During the meetings, the group decided to extend the R18 freeze date by three months to March 2024 to ensure the quality of the R18 3GPP specifications.

The Oregon Department of Human Services is preparing for a potential Cascadia subduction zone earthquake. The agency identified locations that could become isolated from the surrounding communities if a disaster occurred. To prepare the state for this and other hazards, ODHS purchased 10 Compact Rapid Deployables from FirstNet and stationed them across the state, specifically targeting vulnerable areas.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks division has partnered with FirstNet to ensure seamless communication in emergency situations. During a flood assessment, Beltrami County’s disaster recovery team used a MegaGo​ kit – a network boosting device – to connect to FirstNet to bolster communication in this remote part of Northern Minnesota.

The FirstNet Authority invested in an in-building solution called Cell Booster Pro to bring better indoor FirstNet coverage to police headquarters and other public safety buildings. With this new program, public safety agencies can install up to 50 devices across multiple locations—at no cost to the agency—to boost FirstNet inside the buildings where they work.