Devices

Wherever law enforcement officers work, they need fast and reliable connectivity. One of the most important innovations for public safety communications is 5G. With 5G, wireless connectivity can move more data at greater speeds in near real time. 5G will have a big impact on the ability of officers to do their jobs safely and efficiently.

Grundy County, Illinois, is a rural community 45 minutes south of Chicago. Deputy Chief Kevin Bogard of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office shared the unique challenges the county faces - including the annual Corn Festival, which brings in thousands of tourists – and how making the switch to FirstNet helped simplify and consolidate their communication technology.

With 5G, first responders will have access to more data in near real time. And through a series of strategic investments, the FirstNet Authority is working to bring these capabilities to public safety. Discover why 5G is essential to the future of emergency response and how FirstNet’s evolution makes this a reality.

The FirstNet Authority is investing $6.3 billion to enhance 5G capabilities on FirstNet. This is a major strategic investment in the future of public safety communications. 5G on FirstNet will generate faster speeds, enhance the quality of service for first responders, and drive innovations in mission critical services.

In rural Elbert County, Colorado, a lack of connectivity posed serious safety risks for deputies and those they serve. Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton addressed these communication challenges and brought his deputies better technology by switching to FirstNet, the broadband network dedicated to public safety. This enables faster, safer responses.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Annual Report to Congress highlights the achievements and continued progress that the FirstNet Authority has made throughout FY 2023. Details of the FirstNet Authority’s milestone successes in ensuring the deployment of the FirstNet network and securing the renewal of its Band 14 license by the Federal Communications Commission demonstrate a continued commitment to innovation and serving our nation’s public safety community.

SatCOLTS are a popular offering in the FirstNet deployables fleet, but the fleet has more to offer than just big trucks with tall antennas. Some of the newest options in the FirstNet fleet offer flexible, versatile coverage options that can help with a wide variety of response scenarios.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) held Plenary meetings in December 2023 focused on the feature progress for Release 18, planning for Release 19, and preliminary discussions for Release 20. During these meetings, the FirstNet Authority served as an active participant working to develop standards for mission critical services.

With push-to-talk, the press of a button instantly connects firefighters with dispatch and other first responders, making it an invaluable communications tool. With firefighters increasingly needing easy access to multimedia data on the job, push-to-talk over FirstNet can be a gamechanger. It offers cost savings and added capabilities compared to only using radios.

FirstNet can be an important and cost-effective tool for enhancing EMS operations. From push-to-talk capabilities for budget-friendly interoperability to devices that operate like mini cell sites for improved indoor coverage, FirstNet can support communications for EMS practitioners.

In dealing with highly impactful yet rare occurrences, like a global pandemic or a Category 5 hurricane, public safety agencies are making use of FirstNet, the nationwide broadband network designed for first responders. These high-priority, low-frequency events have enabled the implementation of remote 9-1-1 call-taking, tactical dispatch, and the incorporation of FirstNet as a wireless backup for 9-1-1 systems. These initiatives help ensure dependable emergency communications during major events and incidents.

During the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Plenary’s September 2023 meetings, there was continued progress on Release 18, including features of interest for public safety and the development on the stage 3 protocol work. Additionally, the meetings included planning on Release 19 features and the start of preliminary discussions for Release 20.

Renee Gordon, FirstNet Authority Board Vice Chair, has dedicated her career to public safety. In her roles as a 9-1-1 leader and police officer, she has seen first responders put to the test when faced with life-or-death decisions. In honor of National First Responders Day, she shares her perspectives as a first responder and how a responder’s risk calculus improves with FirstNet.

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.

The volunteer EMS community is a vital part of our nation’s public safety efforts, especially in rural areas. FirstNet provides important communication benefits to all first responders. For smaller volunteer EMS agencies, FirstNet levels the playing field, giving access to the same quality of services and products that bigger agencies with more resources have.

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.

When an eight-year-old boy went missing in Michigan's sprawling Porcupine Mountains, an extensive search and rescue operation was initiated. Darian Reed, President of Superior Search and Rescue, shared that broadband and data service support from FirstNet was pivotal in successfully and safely recovering the child.

3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary meetings held in June 2023 focused on the feature progress for Release 18, including the completion of the architecture (stage 2) and the development of protocol work (stage 3). The meetings also included two workshops on Release 19 feature planning. This session marked the 100th set of 3GPP Plenary meetings.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Health system uses nearly 4,000 mobile devices, powered by FirstNet, to enhance care for patients. The leader of UVA Health’s Mobile Device Technologies program, Anthony Thompson, discusses the impact of FirstNet in healthcare and how it’s supporting telemedicine capabilities, translation services, and rural healthcare.