At the March 2020 FirstNet Authority Board and Committee Meeting, updates were made to the Public Safety Advisory Committee’s (PSAC) charter to improve the PSAC’s operations in order to best support the FirstNet network and the first responder community.

At the 2020 Winter Institute Workshop and Exercise, hosted by the Texas A&M University’s Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center, public safety officials practiced integrating new technologies, including a FirstNet deployable, into disaster operations during a simulated cyberattack. Participants included unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) teams from Florida State University, which integrated their UAS with the deployable to share information with command posts.

First responders rely on dogs for many tasks that no human or technology can do. As K9 units continue to proliferate across public safety, industry is designing new technologies to keep them safe and increase their effectiveness. Many of these technologies require a reliable, secure broadband connection to function properly.

The Canton Fire Department transitioned to FirstNet to augment radio communications, enhance planning and response with new data capabilities, and address coverage gaps in their small town, 15 miles south of Boston.

The Hamilton County Communications Center in Ohio is responsible for dispatch services for public safety agencies across the county. Access to FirstNet’s robust and reliable platform is helping tactical dispatchers at the center.