The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advocacy team works hand-in-hand with public safety to make sure their needs are represented in the FirstNet network buildout and evolution. In the West region, seven public safety advisors cover seven states and territories and multiple public safety disciplines. Together they bring a wealth of expertise to their roles as public safety advocates.

The FirstNet Authority is joining the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR) virtually at PSCR 2020: The Digital Experience. Live and on-demand sessions will discuss standards work, innovation in public safety technology, and the FirstNet Authority Roadmap.

Priority and preemption allow first responders to remain connected to FirstNet, even in times of high network congestion, and the FirstNet Authority is continually testing these features to ensure their functionality. Public safety agencies in Canton and Stark County, Ohio and Derry, New Hampshire have experienced the difference priority and preemption make in every day operations and emergency incidents.

The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advocacy team proactively reaches out to public safety to discuss FirstNet and elicit feedback and insight regarding their communication needs for public safety broadband and innovative technologies. In the Central region, the team includes two National Government Liaisons that represent 573 federally recognized tribes across the country and public safety advisors covering a geographically diverse region of 14 states.

This is the sixth entry in a blog series that will explore the six FirstNet Authority Roadmap domains. You can also learn about the Core, Coverage and Capacity, Situational Awareness, Voice Communications and Secure Information Exchange domains by downloading the full Roadmap at firstnet.gov/Roadmap.