School buses in Hopkins County, Kentucky turned to FirstNet to replace their CB radios with an upgraded communication system. The updated system, which includes a mounted tablet-like device, enhances student safety by providing bus drivers with an extended communication range, access to Google Maps, and a real-time tracking system.

FirstNet’s Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD) is a miniature cell tower that first responders can depend on to provide reliable coverage during emergencies. To best support the needs of public safety agencies, the CRD is designed to be easily transported and set up within minutes.

FirstNet is advancing public safety in Tennessee by providing tools and resources that keep first responders connected when they experience outages. The Cell Booster Pro, an enterprise grade miniature cell-site, increases in-building coverage and the AT&T ESinet offers a wireless back-up network for when 9-1-1 centers face connection disruptions.

AT&T, in collaboration with Intrado, introduced a location-based routing feature in New Mexico that enables 911 dispatch centers to pinpoint the exact location where a 911 emergency call was placed. This service works by utilizing the GPS of the phone that made the call and connecting it with the closest 911 dispatch center so that public safety officials can identify the incident location swiftly and precisely. 

With over a million attendees, deputies were dispatched to the Tulsa State Fair in Oklahoma to keep attendees safe and to patrol the Midway, where the rides and games were located. The sheriff’s office used FirstNet’s critical data and technology to pinpoint calls and plot incidents with multiple cameras, cell phones, and RapidSOS.

The only nationwide public safety broadband network, FirstNet, which was created in 2012 is celebrating a decade of public safety accomplishments. Tom Shull, FirstNet’s Director of Legislative Affairs, details some of FirstNet’s major accomplishments throughout the years and provides insight on the future of the organization and it’s continued plans to advance public safety. 

With over 200 hundred attendees, the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association’s Vision conference in Las Vegas, Nevada provided first responders with the opportunity to see how FirstNet could be leveraged to streamline their responsibilities. The conference also included hands-on training for public safety officials, key speakers, and demonstrations of FirstNet equipment and capabilities.  

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 college degree. To remain at the forefront of firefighting innovation in the state, the fire department uses FirstNet technology to boost cellular transmission strength, transmit data to other first responders, capture thermal imaging, and more.

The Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, based out of Estes Park, Colorado, is a difficult for travelers in need of aid to reach due to the remote and hazardous nature of its location. Crown Castle, the nation’s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure, through a collaboration with FirstNet, is completing a cell tower project that will maintain a connection down the 20-mile stretch of US 36 between Estes Park and the town of Lyons, Colorado enabling those in need to be able to call for help any time.