The First Responder Network Authority’s mission is to be a catalyst for advancing the nationwide public safety broadband network. As part of the launch of our roadmap engagement program, we were pleased to co-host a Public Safety Innovation Day on March 6 in College Station, Texas.

At the 2018 American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Hayward, the Wisconsin Office of Emergency Communications deployed the state's Site on Wheels trailer along with a FirstNet Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT). With these network assets in place, first responders were able to stay connected and operate even in the most remote areas along the race.

Despite having large crowds descend upon the relatively small area of the National Mall, first responders did not experience disrupted communications during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration thanks to extensive planning and the help of several FirstNet deployable network assets.

In 2018, the Citizen Potawatomi Tribe hosted its annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With FirstNet devices in hand and a deployable on site, tribal first responders were able to better handle emergencies that required a rapid response, including a lost child, heat-related incidents, and cardiac issues.

The First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet Authority) Public Safety Advocacy team traveled recently to Traverse City, MI, to participate in and present to more than 230 attendees at the 2019 Michigan Statewide Interoperable Communications Training Conference.