FirstNet keeps firefighters connected during wildfires, such as the 2018 Miles Fire in Prospect, Oregon, and wildfires in Napa Valley and Sonoma in California. In Oregon, a FirstNet deployable enhanced coordination and communication among the nearly 2,000 first responders who gathered at base camp. In California, FirstNet equipped responders with the devices they needed for enhanced situational awareness and coordination during the 2017 wildfires.
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I was honored to participate in this year’s National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida.
The sharing of data via FirstNet is enabling first responders to have more information available at their fingertips to help with their lifesaving mission. Today, through over-the-top push-to-talk (PTT) apps, first responders can use FirstNet’s always-on, reliable connection to collaborate — including sharing pictures, videos, texts, and other data in real time. With enhanced communications, public safety can be better prepared to keep themselves and the communities they serve safe.
Priority and preemption are a few of the crucial features FirstNet provides to first responders, especially during large planned events with thousands of participants, such as the annual International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. In years past, first responders at the festival reported poor connectivity on commercial networks due to attendees’ high volume of voice calls, texts, and social media posts. But using FirstNet, public safety’s dedicated network, for this year’s festival, they had a dramatically different—and better—experience.
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) looks forward to participating in APCO 2018, APCO International’s 84th Annual Conference and Expo, which will be held August 5-8. Join us at this year’s event in Las Vegas to hear the latest developments in our efforts to drive innovation, advocate for public safety, and oversee the deployment of public safety’s own network.