Deployables

First responders from the Town of Duck in North Carolina use FirstNet to support daily operations and prepare for disaster response.

The FirstNet Authority joined the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board for a Region VII User Forum in Altoona, Iowa. Public safety agencies from the region gathered to learn more about the latest FirstNet developments and key initiatives underway across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri.

After experiencing the difference in coverage and capacity offered by FirstNet, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office became one of the largest FirstNet subscribers in South Dakota.

In the latest episode of the Public Safety First podcast, guest host and First Responder Network Authority, Director of Field Operations (Northcentral Region) Lesia Dickson is joined by officials from Texas City (Tx.) to discuss their “whole of community” approach to emergency communications and the use of FirstNet to enhance school safety efforts. 

FirstNet continues to gain rapid momentum with 600,000+ device connections being used by more than 7,250 public safety agencies.

First responders in Pennington County, South Dakota, operate in a remote county with unique terrain. With FirstNet bringing new tower infrastructure, deployables, and a reliable network connection, deputies with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office are able to move data and information quickly and securely.

Serving a large, rural, remote county, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office understands the need for reliable communications. The agency became the one of the first in the state of Idaho to join FirstNet, giving deputies the connection they need throughout the county. 

FirstNet deployables were used by the Yankton Sioux Tribe Police Department in South Dakota, where rough terrain physically limits LTE coverage. During a critical search-and-rescue mission, the department reached out to the FirstNet Authority and AT&T, which deployed a SatCOLT within hours.

When mudslides threatened Hawkins County in March 2019, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security used a FirstNet deployable to restore communications and stream video back to the Transportation Management Center in Knoxville.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security has relied on FirstNet for a variety of incidents and emergencies, from Hurricane Michael to a lost hiker to the 2019 Super Bowl. With priority and preemption on the FirstNet network and access to deployable assets such as SatCOLTs (satellite cells on light trucks) and COWs (cells on wheels), first responders have reliable connection when and where they need it. 

At the 2018 American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Hayward, the Wisconsin Office of Emergency Communications deployed the state's Site on Wheels trailer along with a FirstNet Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT). With these network assets in place, first responders were able to stay connected and operate even in the most remote areas along the race.

Despite having large crowds descend upon the relatively small area of the National Mall, first responders did not experience disrupted communications during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration thanks to extensive planning and the help of several FirstNet deployable network assets.

FirstNet Authority Board Member and Senior Vice President of Willis-Knighton Health System Brian Crawford talks about how FirstNet is connecting communities during response and recovery—from first

In 2018, the Citizen Potawatomi Tribe hosted its annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With FirstNet devices in hand and a deployable on site, tribal first responders were able to better handle emergencies that required a rapid response, including a lost child, heat-related incidents, and cardiac issues.

Public safety communications in Baltimore County got a critical upgrade with the launch of a new, purpose-built cell site. The site – located on Hazelwood Avenue – is part of Maryland’s FirstNet build, which is bringing increased coverage and capacity to first responders across the state.

In this episode of Public Safety First, Dave Mulholland — Administrator for the Arlington Co. (VA) Emergency Communications Center — discusses the evolution of emergency communications in the National Capital Region and shares his experiences with a FirstNet demo at the Marine Corps Marathon.

In this episode of Public Safety First, Washington County’s Doug Mullendore chats with host Dave Buchanan on how FirstNet has modernized communications for public safety for Washington County since his agency.

FirstNet is a new nationwide broadband network dedicated to first responders. Designed with the advice of public safety professionals, FirstNet aims to give first responders 21st-century communications tools to help save lives, solve crimes, and keep communities and emergency responders safe.

AT&T customers and FirstNet subscribers got a big boost in wireless connectivity last year. We increased the LTE coverage area for the AT&T network and FirstNet public safety communications platform by more than 50,000 square miles nationwide, covering an additional 1 million individuals.

The Washington County Sheriff’s office was among the first in the nation – and the very first in Maryland – to subscribe to FirstNet. In 2018, the southern portion of the county was badly affected by a powerful line of thunderstorms. Within hours, FirstNet mobilized a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT), boosting the ability to communicate and coordinate emergency response efforts.