Fire Service

Every year during the holidays, the city of St. Augustine in Florida is transformed by millions of holiday lights that bedazzle the city’s downtown in an event called Nights of Lights. As visitors marvel at the twinkling lights, St. Augustine officials use FirstNet to ensure the event runs smoothly and safely for everyone involved.

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.

Public safety agencies that operate on the water, like Hyannis Fire in Massachusetts, deal with unique challenges. That's why the FirstNet Authority went on site with agencies across the county to gather insight into the operational needs of these maritime first responders. These findings will help define future strategies to enhance the effectiveness of maritime emergency response operations. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/PSAM.

First responders respond to incidents in all types of environments—on land, in the air, and on water—and they need to be able to communicate wherever the mission takes them. The FirstNet Authority established a working group to study how public safety currently uses broadband for aviation and maritime operations and how it could be used in these environments in the future.

St. Augustine, a coastal city in Florida, is working toward hurricane resilience. The city has dealt with six Category 1 surges in the past six years alone. After a natural disaster occurs, reliable communication is critical to emergency response times, damage evaluation, and clean-up efforts. With the assistance of FirstNet, public safety agencies in the area are better prepared to efficiently respond and stay connected in situations where traditional infrastructure may be impaired. Learn more: https://firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog/ci...

The fire service faces many different challenges—from structure fires and HAZMAT incidents to wildfires and road accidents. Firefighters need the right tools for the job at hand. FirstNet is a key tool to help firefighters communicate in all incidents. Learn five ways that FirstNet helps the fire service communicate.

Today’s firefighters must maintain connectivity, whether the mission takes them into remote wilderness areas or dense urban buildings. These places can be at the edges of where networks reach. By boosting signal strength, high-power user equipment on FirstNet helps firefighters stay connected wherever the call takes them.

Chief Peter Burke of the Hyannis Fire Department in Massachusetts received the FirstNet Authority's first Patriot Award. The Patriot Award recognizes individuals or public safety agencies that leverage FirstNet to enhance safety within their communities. Learn more about Chief Burke's trailblazing efforts to protect his community: https://firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog/firstnet-authority-awards-inaugural-patriot-award-pioneering-use-firstnet

The 33rd Annual Fire Prevention and Safety Symposium will be held July 31st through August 2nd. 2023 at the Hotel Ballast in Wilmington, North Carolina. This year NASFM's annual event will be held in conjunction with the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Coalition.

The Patriot Award is a new award presented by the FirstNet Authority to individual first responders or public safety agencies that use FirstNet to make their communities safer. The inaugural award was presented to Chief Peter Burke of the Hyannis Fire Department in Massachusetts for contributions to advancing the operationalization of FirstNet and enhancing public safety in his community.

The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association is an ideal opportunity to network, renew contacts and friendships, and discuss ideas and trends in all aspects of the fire service with members.

Tens of thousands of runners and more than 100,000 spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, every Memorial Day for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer road races in the world. During the 2022 race, FirstNet enabled communications inside the emergency operations center, bringing critical connectivity to local first responders. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/Colorado.

Each year on Memorial Day, runners and spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer races in the world. With more than 100,000 people in attendance, communication can be a challenge for local public safety. During the 2022 race, FirstNet helped connect responders on the race course and at the emergency operations center.

When a rural fire in Brooks County, Texas engulfed 6,500 acres of land, the Falfurrias Fire Department faced significant communication and coordination challenges due to the remote location of the fire. FirstNet provided a solution to this problem with the deployment of a SatCOLT, a vehicle with its own cell site non-reliant on commercial power supplies, that provided crucial connectivity and support to over 40 agencies and public safety personnel. This subsequently enabled efficient mapping of the location, real-time weather updates, and seamless communication among first responders.

In March 2022, a fire broke out near the Table Mesa neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, close to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Facility. Over the course of six days, the NCAR Fire burned 190 acres. FirstNet deployables, including a compact rapid deployable owned by the City of Boulder, supported first responders on scene and ensured they could share critical information. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/Colorado.

The NCAR Fire, named for its proximity to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Facility, broke out near Boulder, Colorado in March 2022. The fire prompted the evacuation of 19,000 people and burned 190 acres. Public safety relied on FirstNet deployables, including a Compact Rapid Deployable, to connect their devices and communicate efficiently while managing the evacuations and battling the blaze.

The FirstNet Authority has made substantial progress over the past five years to improve how the fire service uses voice communications, video, and data. Despite these advances, firefighters continue to search for a device they can use while wearing full protective gear and operating in environments that are immediately dangerous to life or health. So, we’re asking—what should that technology look like?

The University Fire Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps prepare the next generation of firefighters by providing students with on-the-ground training, certifications, and a colle

When disasters strike, public safety officials need access to a reliable communications network to facilitate and coordinate resources in a moment’s notice. During a wildfire that started near the National Center for Atmospheric Research facility, the City of Boulder, Colorado experienced firsthand how FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployable assets quickly resolved connections issues by reestablishing communication within 15 minutes.

In the City of St. Augustine, Florida, when multiple public safety agencies are involved in different aspects of securing the city―whether in the aftermath of a hurricane or during a large planned event―communication is critical to ensure all partners are informed and working as a single unit. Agency personnel citywide are connected to FirstNet, an interoperable network that provides reliable communication when they need it most.