OSHKOSH, Wis., July 19, 2023 — Winnebago County is connecting its Sheriff’s Office and all county departments to FirstNet®, Built with AT&T – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community.

With this tech advancement, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office can equip its deputies with new technological capabilities and reliable access to critical information in the field and in the station to better serve those who live and work in the county.

Winnebago County has officially adopted FirstNet for its county communications to help provide better services and public safety. All county departments have adopted FirstNet, including the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.

“The high level of availability provided by FirstNet allows our deputies to stay connected whenever needed across the county,” said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz. “Whether we are deployed for events like the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, responding to emergencies, or working through winter storms, FirstNet allows us to have the priority and preemption that keeps our deputies and communities safer.”

Sheriff deputies in Winnebago County are using FirstNet on their department-issued smartphones and in their vehicles, routers and frontline apparatuses. FirstNet is designed to improve communications across public safety entities nationwide, allowing first responders to communicate with one another easily and quickly during everyday situations, big events or emergencies. This is integral to solving the common roadblock that communications issues have posed in past public safety responses.

Winnebago County joined FirstNet to provide its Sheriff’s Office an entire public safety ecosystem of mission-ready tools and capabilities, including:

• Always-on priority and preemption to give first responders reliable access to the connection they need – and protect them from network congestion.
• A separate, dedicated and highly secure network core purpose-built for public safety and its sensitive communications.
• Innovative tools – public safety-centric innovative applications, mission-critical solutions and smart connected device options – to give public safety the actionable information and heightened situational awareness they need.
• A dedicated fleet of 150+ deployable network assets public safety agencies can call upon for additional connectivity at no extra charge during planned events, urgent crises, or operations in remote situations – a unique benefit to the industry.
• Access to holistic public safety health and wellness tools and resources, like ROG the Dog, that go beyond network connectivity— all powered by the FirstNet Health & Wellness Coalition, which represents more than 5.1 million first responders.

“We’re honored that Winnebago County chose FirstNet to improve its communications technology and connectivity,” said Paul Weirtz, AT&T Wisconsin state president. “As public safety’s partner, we believe it is our mission to give public safety the cutting-edge tools they need to keep our communities safe. FirstNet will help first responders in Winnebago County and across the nation perform at the highest levels to keep themselves and those they serve out of harm’s way.”

“FirstNet is the only broadband network built for public safety, by public safety,” said Jeremy Zollo, Chief Market Engagement Officer at the First Responder Network Authority. “We look forward to working with Winnebago County and Sheriff Matz to make sure FirstNet continues to deliver the coverage and innovation they need to serve communities in Winnebago County and help save lives.”