During an emergency, 9-1-1 is the public’s first point of contact—which presents unique challenges for telecommunicators. Andrea Baughn, Indiana’s deputy statewide interoperability coordinator and 9-1-1 liaison, shared how her state is supporting emergency communication centers and how FirstNet can support the unique challenges of 9-1-1.

Before joining the FirstNet Authority as the EMS subject matter expert, Jon Olson spent 31 years working in EMS in Raleigh, North Carolina. We recently sat down with Jon to discuss his perspective on how the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network has evolved from concept to solution and how FirstNet will help advance EMS operations into the future.

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.