The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) formed a Strike Team to examine the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport program. Chief Jonathan Olson of Wake County, NC EMS and FirstNet Authority PSAC Executive Committee member, details how the FirstNet network is uniquely situated to support this program and how under this program, patients will receive increased access to the services they need.

When disaster strikes, public safety and local officials need the best tools to save lives, and a critical response infrastructure is necessary to help economies recover and remain resilient after these events. In recognition of this, three agencies within the Department of Commerce have come together to launch the Accelerate R2 Network Challenge to foster innovations in response and resiliency technologies.

The FirstNet Authority recently participated in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Newport Beach, California. Dean Prochaska, FirstNet Authority Director of Standards, recaps the standards body meeting and what it means for public safety.

In January 2019, a gas outage in Newport County, Rhode Island left over 7,100 residents without heat in frigid temperatures. Ruggedized FirstNet devices, WiFi hotspots, and GIS mapping software helped the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and local public safety agencies ensure residents were safe.

The FirstNet Authority has always relied on input and feedback from public safety, and with the release of the Roadmap, the FirstNet Authority is continuing this engagement with stakeholders in a new, targeted manner. David Buchanan, FirstNet Authority Executive Director of Public Safety, describes this new approach and how it will help inform the evolution and improvement of the network.