The FirstNet Authority capped off a year of significant progress for public safety by welcoming new members to the Board and outlining an enhanced strategic direction for the organization.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the appointment of six individuals to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority, including five new members. The following are statements on today’s announcement from the FirstNet Board Chair, Edward Horowitz, and the six appointees.

More than 3,600 public safety agencies across the country have now joined FirstNet. That’s a nearly 50% increase in the number of agencies subscribing to the nationwide public safety communications platform in less than 2 months.

The First Responder Network Authority and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced today that Edward Parkinson will serve as Acting Chief Executive Officer, following the recent resignation of Mike Poth, who had served as CEO since 2015.

More than 2,500 public safety agencies across the country have joined FirstNet. This is nearly double the number of agencies since the last update in July.