When a dangerous wildfire tore through rural areas of Somervell County, Texas, the local fire department, and sheriff's office quickly mobilized to tackle the unfolding crisis. The response to the fire –named the Chalk Mountain wildfire – was hindered by the rugged terrain and intensity, which created issues with maintaining coverage. Recognizing the urgent need for a dependable and secure connection, Assistant Fire Chief of the Somervell County Fire Department of the Somervell Sheriff’s Office requested a FirstNet SatCOLT. This FirstNet network asset was pivotal to supporting communications and data sharing among responding agencies.

The FirstNet Authority convened a cohort of emergency management professionals from across the country to tell us about how FirstNet works in the real world. This group provided valuable feedback about how they currently use FirstNet for emergency management, the challenges they’ve faced, and what they’d like to see in the future.

During the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Plenary’s September 2023 meetings, there was continued progress on Release 18, including features of interest for public safety and the development on the stage 3 protocol work. Additionally, the meetings included planning on Release 19 features and the start of preliminary discussions for Release 20.

Renee Gordon, FirstNet Authority Board Vice Chair, has dedicated her career to public safety. In her roles as a 9-1-1 leader and police officer, she has seen first responders put to the test when faced with life-or-death decisions. In honor of National First Responders Day, she shares her perspectives as a first responder and how a responder’s risk calculus improves with FirstNet.

The remote region of Jackman, Maine, was experiencing dwindling healthcare options, especially on nights and weekends when the local health clinic was closed. Through an innovative telehealth project, the region now has 24/7 urgent care with the help of FirstNet. The network connects local paramedics to emergency physicians at a hospital 120 miles away, allowing them to treat patients after hours and improve access to quality of care across the region.