America’s first responders are on the front lines working to save lives and protect communities across the nation. During the month of May, there are a number of opportunities to recognize the hard work and life-saving sacrifices of fire service, law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel.

In the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing effort to keep you informed regarding standards development activities impacting public safety, and following our recent update on the December plenary meetings in Portugal, this blog discusses the latest developments from the 3GPP plenary meetings held in Chennai, India from March 19-23, 2018. The March quarterly meetings addressed standards in several areas relevant to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) during three separate plenary group meetings.

A number of public safety agencies are adopting FirstNet and gaining capabilities they have never had before. These FirstNet trailblazers are exploring the benefits of smart devices powered by a dedicated, high-speed wireless broadband connection. Capturing and sharing real-time data, live streaming, and incident mapping are just a few FirstNet-powered capabilities they’re incorporating into emergency response.

This is an exciting time for FirstNet. In the last month, the First Responder Network Authority-AT&T partnership has reached major milestones in deploying the network for first responders, including the launch of the nationwide buildout of public safety’s spectrum – Band 14 – and the delivery of the FirstNet Core.

The Brazos County Sheriff’s Department became the first Texas agency to officially subscribe to FirstNet. Whether during flooding, tornadoes, Hurricane Harvey, or even an armed standoff, the department has used livestreaming video to better assess incidents as they evolved.