In this year’s Annual Report to Congress, the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet Authority, celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) received an unmodified, or clean, audit opinion on its financial statements for fiscal year (FY) 2021. This is the ninth consecutive year that the FirstNet Authority has earned a clean audit. The audit identified zero material weaknesses, zero significant deficiencies, and zero management-level control deficiencies.

As the Marshall Fire burned through Boulder County, it quickly became the most destructive fire in Colorado state history. The fire damaged critical infrastructure and commercial networks were congested, but responders were able to communicate with FirstNet deployable assets on site, including a compact rapid deployable that was able to traverse steep terrain and establish coverage quickly.

Throughout the pandemic, FirstNet has been delivering our nation’s frontline public safety personnel a secure, dedicated wireless broadband service to keep mass vaccination centers connected and coordinated. When the New Hampshire’s Security and Emergency Management set up a mass vaccination clinic in Loudon last spring, the agency implemented FirstNet service for its communication needs. The FirstNet network was equally critical to healthcare providers and emergency managers setting up sites to administer COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in Michigan and Maryland.