For the third year, APCO has dedicated an entire track of their annual conference to FirstNet, themed “transforming the future of emergency communications.” The 2022 conference track has 12 sessions with diverse speakers who are experts on or users of FirstNet.

Every emergency manager knows a disaster calls for all hands on deck, including the extended community of responders who help public safety in emergencies. This extended community can include utilities, transportation, and other essential services. FirstNet is available to this extended community of responders when needed. And emergency managers should know how to prepare all response partners to communicate during a disaster.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the legislation that created the FirstNet Authority. From our earliest days, the FirstNet Authority has collaborated with tribal leadership and organizations to better understand the needs of responders in Indian Country. We are working to expand broadband coverage into tribal communities that have historically lacked access to reliable communication services and offering advanced technologies to keep them connected.

Nlets – the International Justice and Public Safety Network is an international, not-for-profit corporation owned and managed by the 50 states and 5 U.S. territories. Since its establishment, Nlets has served the law enforcement community by enabling state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies to exchange and access public safety information. As a member of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, Nlets provides critical input related to criminal justice information sharing and secure data exchange.

The FirstNet Authority’s law enforcement expert, Harry Markley, recently sat down with Sheriff Peter Koutoujian who leads the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts. Sheriff Koutoujian was appointed in October by the Secretary of Commerce to serve on the FirstNet Authority Board. The discussion covered the sheriff’s approach to law enforcement, his views on FirstNet’s value, and what he hopes to accomplish on the Board.