Devices
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Alexandria Department of Emergency and Customer Communications in Virginia implemented remote call-taking and dispatching to keep telecommunicators safe while still serving their community. Using WiFi hotspots connected to FirstNet, the agency was the first in the nation to enable remote 9-1-1 emergency call-taking.
Emergency operations centers are working hard, facing an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. Public safety officials are turning to technology to monitor storms and communicate. And FirstNet is providing the coverage and capacity first responders need when responding in the aftermath of major storms.
The Arlington Police Department in Texas is using FirstNet to support tools that help officers better serve their communities. FirstNet’s dedicated network gives Arlington Police confidence and reliability across the city to remain connected to the resources they need most.
In Walker County, Alabama, Sheriff Nick Smith said that digital radios running over FirstNet kept deputies connected to dispatch and an aviation unit that helped locate missing persons. Walker County deputies currently carry DuraForce Pro 2 smartphones by Kyocera which use FirstNet, a broadband network for first responders offered by AT&T.
In Chesapeake, Virginia, the local fire department is exploring ways to manage response for non-emergent care. The Chesapeake Fire Department launched a Mobile Integrated Healthcare program to provide residents with effective access to healthcare. With FirstNet, they are able to access real-time data in the field and coordinate with high-risk patients throughout the community.
The FirstNet Authority is taking part in several panel discussions, as well as a virtual booth for the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ 2020 Fire-Rescue International ReIGNITE conference. During the event, attendees can take the opportunity to learn about FirstNet’s innovations for public safety agencies and all of the resources available to them through the network.
The momentum continued at the September 2020 3GPP Plenary meetings with Release 17 (R17) work fully underway. Several studies are moving into the normative work phase and address public safety areas of interest, including enhanced location services, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as drones, direct mode enhancements including sidelink relay, and 5G multicast-broadcast.
Bobby Gelormine, the Senior Planner for the Chesapeake Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management, helps the city plan for everything from hurricanes and flooding to terrorism and other man-made disasters. Being in a constant state of readiness means that Gelormine and his colleagues rely on FirstNet to provide reliable communications, no matter the emergencies they face.
Sacred Cross EMS provides EMS and emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport services across North and West Texas. Many of the areas that the company services are rural, and cellular coverage is traditionally sparse. With the help of FirstNet, Sacred Cross is able to communicate among crews, with hospitals, and with dispatch provide better patient care in these remote areas during everyday incidents and planned events.
Thirty-year fire service veteran and board member for the FirstNet Authority Brian Crawford knows firsthand the impact that innovative communications technology has for our nation’s first responders. In this time of national crisis, it is imperative that public safety benefits from interoperability and stable coverage to keep agencies working at their best.
The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) in Washington D.C. is responsible for 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 calls in the nation’s capital, as well as dispatch services and radio communications for D.C. first responders. The OUC handles nearly 3.5 million emergency and non-emergency calls each year. When the pandemic hit, the OUC turned to FirstNet MiFis to support remote telework for 3-1-1 and non-emergency 9-1-1 call takers, keeping staff safe while answering the call for D.C. residents and visitors.
The Saint Louis region is home to 88 municipalities across 523 square miles. For public safety officials in this area of Missouri, interoperability is key. To meet this need, the Clayton Fire Department is using FirstNet to connect to other first responders, access data on the scene of incidents, and enhance situational awareness and patient care.
The Texas A&M Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC) in College Station, Texas plays an important role in developing public safety broadband technologies. Through its annual Winter Institute Workshop and Exercise, ITEC has brought together industry and public safety leaders to test and developing apps and services that benefit first responders.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) provides resources and advocacy for volunteer firefighters, EMS, and rescue personnel across the nation. As a member of the FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, the NVFC brings the voice of volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services to the deployment and operation of the FirstNet network.
In March 2020, several tornadoes tore across middle Tennessee. In Putnam County, 80 miles outside of Nashville, an EF-4 tornado caused major damage to structures and a public safety radio tower. With communications severely limited, state and local first responders turned to FirstNet for coverage from deployables and push-to-talk on smartphones.
As EMS providers expand their use of technology, FirstNet gives them a wireless broadband platform to connect in the field. FirstNet Authority Senior EMS Advisor Brent Williams highlights three EMS agencies using FirstNet to communicate in rural areas, send vital patient information to hospitals, and access the resources to enhance patient care.
Voice communications are the fundamental form of public safety communications. At the heart of the FirstNet effort is the need for a reliable communications platform that will provide voice, data, and video services for public safety’s lifesaving mission. With the launch of FirstNet, countless first responders gained access to the most advanced broadband emergency communications solution available today, and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) strives to learn from public safety where the network needs to go next.
Connecting to tools and resources is vital for law enforcement agencies. With FirstNet, officers and deputies in rural and remote areas have increased access to the databases and systems they need. Harry Markley, FirstNet Authority Senior Law Enforcement Advisor, highlights how three agencies are using FirstNet to maximize operations and improve incident outcomes.
Situational awareness for first responders can come from cameras, sensors, wearables, or countless other pieces of technology. In this blog, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Products Advisor Randy Kerr and FirstNet Authority Senior Director of Product Technology and Architecture Carlos L’Abbate discuss public safety’s situational awareness needs and how the FirstNet Authority is ensuring those needs are met.