Devices

The Emergency Communications Center in Alexandria, Virginia, used FirstNet to seamlessly continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. With FirstNet, telecommunicators were able to work remotely and stay safe.

Every year, the FirstNet Authority provides a report to Congress, outlining the activities, operations, financial condition, and accomplishments from the previous fiscal year. Tom Shull, FirstNet Authority Director of Government Affairs, provides an overview of the FirstNet Authority’s Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2019.

Home to mountain ranges and forested areas, Washington County, Oregon presents communications challenges for local public safety. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office relies on FirstNet to stay connected with deputies, citizens, and dispatch centers.

Emergency communications professionals across the country utilize FirstNet to support innovative approaches to 9-1-1 and dispatch. FirstNet’s secure, reliable broadband connection helps telecommunicators deliver accurate, robust information to on the scene responders. FirstNet, and the technology ecosystem that has built up around it, is especially helpful for dispatchers placed in uncommon situations. 

The Cranford Police Department in New Jersey trialed FirstNet Push-to-Talk, a service built on 3GPP mission critical push-to-talk standards. This service provided officers with an easy-to-use system with clearer voice quality and wider coverage area than traditional land mobile radios.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon uses FirstNet on cell phones and mobile data computers to better protect a community of 600,000 people spread out in mostly rural areas.

First responders rely on dogs for many tasks that no human or technology can do. As K9 units continue to proliferate across public safety, industry is designing new technologies to keep them safe and increase their effectiveness. Many of these technologies require a reliable, secure broadband connection to function properly.

The Canton Fire Department transitioned to FirstNet to augment radio communications, enhance planning and response with new data capabilities, and address coverage gaps in their small town, 15 miles south of Boston.

Officers with the Troy Police Department in New York rely on FirstNet for a differentiated emergency communications experience in the city’s densely populated urban setting. FirstNet’s priority and preemption service allows officers to stay connected, make calls, and send and receive information securely without signal delay or disruption.

Tabitha Smithers, an emergency aviation flight nurse and Goochland County Fire and EMS volunteer paramedic, uses FirstNet to alleviate communications hurdles in a rural region of Virginia.

The Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center in South Carolina is upgrading its computer-aided dispatch system. With the new, cloud-based system in place, the 911 Center will use FirstNet as a backup system, ensuring they will always be connected and able to operate.

In a world where technology trends are ever changing, the FirstNet Authority and our network contractor, AT&T, are working diligently to deliver a dedicated public safety broadband network. In addition to a reliable and secure connection, we are working with AT&T to build a diverse device ecosystem that will meet the needs of public safety.

A robust broadband ecosystem for public safety demands a proven pool of mobile apps based on the needs of the responder community. The FirstNet applications strategy is to enable the creation of public safety mobile applications while maintaining support for existing commercial applications. This will establish a portfolio of resilient, reliable, secure and easy-to-use mobile applications for first responders.

As technology rapidly evolves, more and more tools are becoming available to first responders. Over the past year, the FirstNet Authority has supported several innovation contests that encourage entrepreneurs, researchers, and public safety professionals to develop solutions to assist emergency responders. Brian Hobson, Director of the FirstNet Authority Enterprise Strategy Division, breaks down some of these contests and how the FirstNet Authority is helping drive innovation forward.

In January 2019, a gas outage in Newport County, Rhode Island left over 7,100 residents without heat in frigid temperatures. Ruggedized FirstNet devices, WiFi hotspots, and GIS mapping software helped the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and local public safety agencies ensure residents were safe.

Fall is here and that means International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference and Exposition is near!

When Super Bowl LIII came to Atlanta, the Fulton County E9-1-1 Center used FirstNet to support the backup center.

The Seattle Fire Department is equipping firefighters and paramedics with access to FirstNet on smartphones and rig apparatus, keeping them connected through everyday emergencies and natural disasters.

The New Hampshire Department of Public Safety’s Office of Interoperability hosted the FirstNet Authority for two User Forums – for New Hampshire and for Region I states. Public safety officials from across the region gathered to learn more about the FirstNet Authority Roadmap and had the opportunity to explore some FirstNet dedicated assets for first responders.

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